SOLES4SOULS ANNOUNCES WINNER OF 2ND ANNUAL TRAVEL4SOLES SHOE CHALLENGE
Nashville, TN & Washington, DC – December 7, 2011 – Soles4Souls announced today the winner of their Travel4Soles challenge—Rachel Quade, a Laurel resident who collected more than 27,000 pairs of gently worn shoes. The mother of 3 was inspired to clean out her closet after returning from a trip to Tanzania with the Soles4Souls team to distribute shoes, and the rest is history. Through her passion and determination to do something to make a change, she was able to start a shoe ‘revolution’ in the DC area with thousands of individuals supporting her cause.
The mom has spent long days hauling shoes in the back of her car from willing individuals who have shoes to spare. She stored the thousands of shoes in a warehouse on Washington Boulevard in Laurel, with the hope of returning to Tanzania to see how her shoes make a difference.
The Travel4Soles challenge offers a free trip to the individual who collects the most shoes. The challenge began on July 1st, 2011 and the last count of shoes was due on October 31st, 2011 to be eligible. Hundreds of individuals participated in the challenge, which collected a total of 78,000 pairs of shoes for the charity.
“Rachel Quade is an inspiration and a shining example of what individuals can really do to make a difference,” said Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Wayne Elsey. “She is a one-woman change agent for good in DC, and we are blown away by her drive to change lives. With more than 300 million children around the world without shoes, we need more people like Rachel to truly make a dent in the need.”
The shoe charity will take the shoes collected from the shoe drive and redistribute them to people in need through shoe distributions and micro-enterprise programs in Haiti and Tanzania. Soles4Souls has distributed more than 16 million pairs of shoes to people in need.
The third Travel4Soles challenge will begin on January 1st, 2012 for another opportunity to join Soles4Souls on a distribution trip. People and companies interested in signing up or donating can visit the organization’s website at www.giveshoes.org.
615-391-5723, elizabethk@giveshoes.org
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.
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