Soles4Souls Inc. News
Soles4Souls Inc. Donates 25,000 Pairs of Shoes to Victims of China Earthquake
NASHVILLE, Tenn. and XINHUA, China, May 15 PRNewswire-USNewswire — Monday's devastating earthquake in China has killed an estimated 15,000 people, with at least 25,000 people missing. Soles4Souls Inc., the international shoe charity dedicated to providing free footwear to people in need, is also lending its support of the victims by arranging donated footwear direct from its operations center in China.
"Our hearts are deeply saddened by the news reports coming out of the areas affected by the earthquake in Xinhua," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls Inc. "Our relief partners are currently delivering water, food, and other supplies to the victims, and we want to do our part as well by donating 25,000 pairs of shoes to the rescuers sifting through the rubble. This tragedy will be felt in the area for a long time to come," he said.
The magnitude 7.9 earthquake heavily damaged schools, hospitals, roads, railway lines, factories, chemical plants, power lines and dams. According to news reports, this is the worst earthquake to hit China since 1976, when the infamous magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Tangshan in northern China, leaving 240,000 dead. Monday's earthquake toll is certain to rise as more collapsed buildings are pulled apart in search of survivors.
Elsey strongly encouraged footwear manufacturers with facilities in China to donate a portion of their inventories to victims. "Our China office can help coordinate the donation to save precious time in getting the shoes to the people who need them most," he said. "Most footwear companies have at least one factory in China, and it this is the time we need to help our friends with the simple gift of shoes," he added.
Elsey said that the 25,000 pairs of shoes the charity is sending will come from Soles4Souls' primary warehouse in Alabama, while he hoped to at least match that amount from footwear companies who have factories in China and India.
To learn more about this project, call the Soles4Souls hotline at 615-391- 5723 or email info@giveshoes.org.
About Soles4Souls
Nashville-based Soles4Souls(TM) facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. The organization created National Barefoot Week, to be held during the first week of June each year, to encourage participation among individuals, companies, and civic groups. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has collected more than 3 million pairs (or one pair every 28 seconds) from shoe companies, retailers, and individuals. The shoes have been distributed in more than 60 countries, including Mexico, Honduras, Romania, Thailand, and the Sudan. The charity has been featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC News, FOX, CBS, and hundreds of regional outlets around North America. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.GiveShoes.org and www.Soles4Souls.org or call (866) 521-SHOE.
SOURCE Soles4Souls Inc.
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