City Sports Partners With Soles4Souls
Boston, MA (PRWEB) August 12, 2015 -- City Sports, a specialty sports retailer and a premier destination for dedicated athletes and active lifestyle enthusiasts, is launching a campaign to collect thousands of shoes from its customers to help fight poverty and support those in need.
The 26-store retail chain is partnering with Soles4Souls, an international anti-poverty organization that monetizes used shoes and clothing to create sustainable jobs and fund direct relief efforts, including distribution of new shoes and clothing.
Starting August 12 and running through September 8, City Sports will collect used shoes in its 26 stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and Vermont. The retailer is encouraging runners, athletes and anyone who has shoes they no longer need to donate their unwanted soles.
As an incentive to drive donations, City Sports is offering anyone who donates used shoes a $20 discount voucher toward their next footwear purchase at City Sports.
"We're excited to partner with Soles4Souls and our customers to create positive change and to help combat poverty," said City Sports CEO Marty Hanaka. "With our deep roots in running footwear, we're able to use our store locations as collection hubs to support the great work Soles4Souls is doing. Serious runners wear out their shoes approximately every two to three months. That's a lot of shoes that can be put to good use."
Founded in 2006, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 22 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. The organization, which holds the highest rating from nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator, distributes used shoes to microenterprise programs that create jobs in Haiti and other nations. Among its relief programs, the organization distributed over 200,000 new pairs of shoes to help Philippine victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
The connection between poverty and shoes is well documented. The World Bank estimates that approximately 400 million children worldwide – more than the entire U.S. population – live in pronounced poverty. Millions of these children will grow up never having had a pair of shoes, resulting in significant ramifications for their health and well-being.
Lacking proper footwear, countless children will not be able or permitted to attend school. The lack of adequate footwear puts tens of millions of boys and girls at risk of infection from soil-transmitted parasitic diseases including hookworm and other potentially debilitating illnesses.
"The simple truth is that almost anyone with a closet has shoes they don't wear, or an old pair that could end up in a landfill," added Hanaka. "Give those unwanted shoes to us, and know that you're helping to affect positive change for those who need it most."
City Sports used shoe drive for Soles4Souls information:
• Between August 12 and September 8, bring your used shoes of any kind to one of City Sports' 26 store locations.
• Each person who makes a donation will receive a $20 voucher toward the purchase of a pair of shoes at City Sports. More information and restrictions: http://www.citysports.com/soles4souls.
About City Sports
Founded in 1983, City Sports operates 26 retail stores in metropolitan locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Vermont, as well as online at citysports.com. City Sports offers performance footwear, apparel, and equipment for running, fitness, swimming, cycling, tennis, team sports, and more. They carry a comprehensive assortment from leading brands including Under Armour, Nike, Patagonia, The North Face, Fitbit, ASICS, and adidas, as well as niche specialty brands and their own CS by City Sports label. More information: http://www.citysports.com.
About Soles4Souls
Soles4Souls is a global social enterprise committed to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty. The organization advances its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributing those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and by provisioning qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities. Since it began, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 22 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance, and holds a four-star rating with Charity Navigator. Please visit http://www.soles4souls.org for more information.
Eve Bould, City Sports, http://www.citysports.com, +1 617-391-9119, [email protected]
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