Soles4Souls, the International Shoe Charity, Celebrates Distribution of 17 Million Pairs of Shoes -- 17 Million Lives Changed

The shoe charity recognizes the milestone as a result of the incredible support of footwear industry, retailers, friends and individual donors

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Soles4Souls

Feb 22, 2012, 12:05 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- What started as a simple idea to help the victims of Southeast Asia recover from the tsunami in 2004 has become the largest distributor of free footwear in the world—Soles4Souls, INC (www.Soles4Souls.org). And this week it is celebrating its biggest milestone to date with the distribution of 17 million pairs of shoes. The shoe charity has distributed more than 1 million pairs of shoes since October, when they announced they had reached the 16 million pair goal.

Soles4Souls has responded to more than 40 natural disasters worldwide with crisis relief aid since 2004, including Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the Japan earthquake, and the Alabama and Missouri tornadoes in 2011. With 1 in 4 people around the world living in abject poverty, the shoe charity also assists individuals living in developing nations and in the U.S. who cannot afford shoes.

"This is in recognition of the millions of lives changed thanks to the relentless support of our donors," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "Our organization is committed to using Americans' excess to fill the footwear void in the US and abroad, and we are not slowing down on this commitment. This is another milestone for our organization and we are incredibly grateful to every single person that has made a sacrifice in their life to improve the quality of life for someone else."

Individuals can join in the celebration by becoming a fan of Soles4Souls on Facebook, hosting a shoe drive in their local community or business, or by signing up to raise funds for the charity at www.giveshoes.org.

"There isn't a better way to help us celebrate than by helping more people, so get involved and help us continue to change the world one pair at a time," Elsey added.

About Soles4Souls®, Clothes4Souls®, and Hope4Souls®
Soles4Souls collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-enterprise efforts to eradicate poverty. Soles4Souls' other two divisions, Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls, provide the same relief and support through clothing and other necessities. Donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. Visit www.giveshoes.org, www.clothes4souls.org , or www.hope4souls.org for more information.

SOURCE Soles4Souls