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Charity Works: Rack Room Raises Nearly $1.2 Million to Give Shoes to School Kids + More

FN Staff
·5 min read

Sept. 25, 2020: Rack Room Shoes announced today that its 2020 Shoes That Fit fundraiser has raised $1.17 million to provide shoes for kids in need. Rack Room has been partnering with the Shoes That Fit nonprofit since 2007, and in that time has raised a total of $9.4 million and donated at least 325,000 pairs of shoes. Their annual charity event is held during the back-to-school season and works with local school representatives to distribute new footwear to area schools and students most in need.

Sept. 25, 2020: Belk‘s annual Charity Sale is back. The department store’s event, which runs from Oct. 9 to 11, invites nonprofits to raise funds and compete for a $5,000 donation with the help of its customers. In return for donating $5 to a participating organization, shoppers will receive a $10 off coupon to be used during the sale, which offers markdowns of 25% or more off of items from “rarely discounted” brands. Since the fundraiser’s launch in 2012, Belk has contributed more than $50 million in donations to upwards of 6,000 local nonprofits.

Sept. 11, 2020: John Elliott is donating all proceeds of its made-in-Los Angeles “Fire Relief” T-shirts to CAL FIRE Strike teams in California as well as the nonprofit California Fire Fund. For a limited time, 100% of sales will be directed toward supporting local businesses to provide meals and other necessities to basecamps. “When I reached out to a lifelong friend, who’s the captain of a strike team, we identified some ways to help,” Elliott said in a statement. “Through my conversation, I was incredibly inspired. Strike Teams, like the one he’s currently leading at the border of California and Oregon, are our first line of defense. The heroes that comprise them are actively risking their lives and spending unimaginable time away from loved ones to protect and extinguish these fires.” He added, “As we raise money and awareness, my hope is to inspire other businesses to do the same. We appreciate everything firefighters are doing up and down the West Coast, and we’re committed to helping out in any way that we can.”

Sept. 7, 2020: Fabrizio Viti will donate 10% of all brand sales towards medical research for childhood cancers. The footwear brand has partnered with The Bibi Fund and Solving Kids’ Cancer in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The Bibi Fund was founded in 2017 by Gisela Niedzielski, the co-founder and CEO of Fabrizio Viti after her twin daughter, Bibi, was diagnosed with a rare type of stage IV brain cancer. Against all odds, Bibi is well and the organization continues its effort in raising funds for research on fighting childhood cancers. In addition to donating 10% of sales, the Italian footwear brand will also launch a two-week campaign starting on Sept. 14 via Instagram. The social media initiative will include a special filter for Instagram Stories. Fabrizio Viti plans to donate £1 for every tag and filter used on Instagram for the two week period.

Sept. 2, 2020: Dollar General plans to donate $50,000 to the American Red Cross to support relief and recovery efforts following Hurricane Laura. Through Sept. 11, the company is also accepting in-store collections at its more than 16,700 stores across the country. “We understand the aftermath of the hurricane coupled with the ongoing pandemic can add additional stress to the communities we call home,” CEO Todd Vasos said in a statement. “We are hopeful these funds can aid the American Red Cross in providing much-needed support for individuals and families recovering in its wake.”

Sept. 1, 2020: Foot Locker Inc. is doing its part to kick off back to school season with a series of shoe donations worth over $1.5 million. Partnering with a mix of global and local organizations, the brand is set to impact around 19,000 lives across seven countries with its donations; the initiative will be done in part with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit organization that takes both new and used shoes and repurposes them to be given back to those in need. On top of the donation, the retailer also launched an initiative titled “Collaboraid,” providing exclusive collabs with well-known names with proceeds going back to local communities. As part of this move, Foot Locker Inc. will donate $250,000 to Soles4Souls to aid with the distribution of its shoe donation.

Sept. 1, 2020: JCPenney tapped basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal to help launch its “Ready for Anything Challenge” ahead of the new school year. The initiative works to encourage back-to-school positivity in the current climate; to do so, the brand is inviting youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas and Orlando to participate in virtual mentoring sessions on Sept. 1 with special appearances from O’Neal himself. The former athlete will also announce a donation of a $5,000 in JCPenney gift card for each location of the club involved, totaling to $20,000.

Sept. 1, 2020: Saucony and the Boston Children’s Hospital introduced their first-ever collaboration with sneakers designed by a group of special designers. As part of the Saucony Run for Good Children’s Program, the limited-edition “Shoes with Soul” collection features six reimaginations of the athletic brand’s Kinvara 11 or Jazz 4000 sneakers created by young patients in the hospital. The styles take inspiration from sports, rainbows and unicorns, in addition to a meaningful look at their own hopes for the future. The proceeds from the collaboration will benefit the Boston Children’s Cardiac Fitness Program, an exercise program helping children with congenital heart conditions to maintain physical and mental health. The Saucony x Boston Children’s Hospital capsule drops on Sept. 4 for $100 to $110 at Saucony.com.

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