Stride Rite stepped up in a big way for Soles4Souls this year.
The Boston-based children’s brand collected and donated more than 150,000 pairs of shoes for the industry nonprofit. Throughout 2016, Stride Rite hosted a series of seasonal donation drives, encouraging its customers to drop off new or gently used footwear to Soles4Souls bins located in its stores across the country.
During the back-to-school season alone, the brand collected nearly 60,000 pairs for donation to children around the world. In addition, it donated 1 percent of the net profits from its back-to-school shoe sales to the charity. Looking to build on that success, Stride Rite has renewed its partnership with Soles4Souls for 2017.
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“At Stride Rite, we’re parents first, and we embrace the opportunity to partner with Soles4Souls to provide children around the world with the shoes they so desperately need,” said Liz Bunnell, the brand’s senior director of marketing. “With the help of our customers, we’ve impacted hundreds of thousands of children, and we’re excited to continue our work with Soles4Souls in the year ahead.”
Buddy Teaster, Soles4Souls’ president and CEO, commended Stride Rite for rallying so enthusiastically to the charity’s cause.
“Lots of companies talk about making a difference, but Stride Rite is all about action. Their contributions of shoes and funds have enabled families in dozens of countries to have a better life. Even using conservative estimates, Stride Rite has generated more than $3 million of direct economic impact,” Teaster said. “There is nothing that makes us happier than to know that Stride Rite and its customers have changed the world for good with their generosity. I’ve said it before, but Stride Rite is one of the best partners Soles4Souls has ever had.”
