FSU Athletics Donates Shoes To "Soles4Souls"
Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University Athletics
Department has added yet another important and worthwhile cause to
its charitable efforts.
The Bulldogs, in partnership with Dr. Jeff Mossel
and the Big Rapids Foot and Ankle Clinic, have donated more than
300 pair of athletics shoes to the "Soles4Souls" organization, an
international shoe charity.
Soles4Souls facilitates large donations of new or gently worn
shoes from various footwear companies, retailers, churches,
nonprofit ministries, civic groups, schools, and individuals across
the country. The shoes are then given to people throughout
the world who desperately need footwear.
"In a continued effort to partner with local businesses and
organizations, we're proud of this partnership and opportunity to
support such a worthy cause," said FSU Associate Athletics Director
Jon Coles. "Dr. Mossel is a true fan of
Bulldog Athletics and we thank him for his support of FSU and this
important project."
The Soles4Souls effort began in 2004 during the aftermath of the
tsunami that hit Southeast Asia where nearly three out of four
people were barefoot. Now, Soles4Souls sends over 2 million pairs
of shoes per year to more than 125 countries. In the United States,
Soles4Souls donates shoes to homeless shelters and battered
women’s centers. Overseas, many people have started
micro-businesses refurbishing and selling shoes to aid the
efforts.
To date, more than 10 millions pairs of shoes have been donated to
people in need throughout the world as the organization continues
"changing the world, one pair at a time". A new pair of shoes
is donated to the cause nearly every seven seconds.
Many of the shoes donated by FSU Athletics were purchased for and
utilized on the Bulldogs' previous artificial-turf football playing
surface at Top Taggart Field and are no longer needed with the
recent installation of the new Mondo Ecofill field.
The shoes were picked up Thursday (Aug. 5) by Dr. Mossel for
shipment to the Soles4Souls organization.
"Thousands of people all over the world have inadequate shoes for
work, sport, and daily activities," said Dr. Mossel.
"Inadequate shoes lead to multple foot injuries daily, which often
go untreated.
"Through collaboration in our community, we will change hunderds
of lives by providing quality shoes for athletes in need," he
added. "FSU continues to find innovative ideas to integrate Bulldog
Athletics into the community and we're proud to support these
efforts."
In addition to providing footwear to needy individuals,
Soles4Souls also aids the environment. Last year alone,
Americans discarded more than 300 million pairs of shoes. When
these shoes break down in landfills, the toxic glue that holds the
shoes together can leak into the water supply and atmosphere. The
organization offers a simple way to help reduce the strain on the
environment by encouraging individuals to donate "gently worn"
footwear to people in need instead of throwing them away.
Soles4Souls accepts all types of shoes: athletic, running, dress,
sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance, flip flops, as
long as they are new or gently worn. Additionally, monetary
donations are accepted and can be made online via the Soles4Souls
website. Every dollar contributed results in one additional
pair of shoes for someone in need.
Soles4Souls saves shoes from an early death by cleaning them and
shipping them to needy people around the world, who will treasure
the gift for years to come. Since its inception following the Asian
tsunami, Soles4Souls has distributed over 10 million pairs to
people in 125 countries, and the efforts have been publicized in
thousands of articles, including the Green Guide by National
Geographic and Runner's World.
In addition to this program, Soles4Souls hosts thousands of
collection events across North America, including marathons,
schools, churches and more. Many local shoe retailers also offer
discounts on new shoes in exchange for older donated pairs.
For more information on Soles4Souls, please visit this link:
http://www.soles4souls.org
