Runners Can Rock ‘n’ Roll, then Give Their Soles
San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon charity partnership with Give Your Sole provides shoes to the needy
Posted Friday, 28 May, 2010
From Ryan Lamppa, Running USA
SAN DIEGO - (May 26, 2010) – As more than 30,000 runners take on the challenge of the 2010 San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & ½ Marathon benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on Sunday, June 6, they will get more than a feeling of accomplishment. They will also get the chance to give back and help those in need.
In partnership with Give Your Sole, a non-profit organization, runners will be able to donate their used running shoes throughout race weekend. Runners can literally take the shoes that carried them through the race right off their feet and receive a free pair of flip flops to wear home.
It is estimated that only 1 out of 100 shoes gets recycled. The rest usually end up in a landfill, making Give Your Sole an environmentally impactful effort as well.
“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series has always had a focus on giving back, with many of our runners already participating for a charitable cause,” said Kari Logan, Event Director. “This is a partnership that really connects the accomplishment of running a marathon or half-marathon with a great need in our local community for such a basic necessity.”
Donations can be made at the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday June 4 and Saturday June 5 at the San Diego Convention Center and at the finish line on race day. All of the shoes donated to Give Your Sole will be distributed locally through the San Diego Rescue Mission.
Brett Byrd, founder of Give Your Sole, has seen first-hand the difference a simple pair of shoes can make to one of the 3.5 million people who will experience homelessness in the U.S. this year.
“The impact of giving a person a pair of shoes is immediate,” he says. “It gives them a sense of mobility that allows them to get to where they need to be; whether it is looking for work or going to the grocery store to feed their family. Having a pair of shoes to someone on the street means that the miles they walk each day will be less of a burden. Having a pair of shoes for their kids now takes away one less stress of not having the money to buy a pair for their little ones.”
Give Your Sole staff will be looking for shoes in reasonable condition – those without holes in the toes and soles that are not soiled, dirty or wet. However, if shoes are deemed too damaged to be reused, they will still be sent to a recycling plant to make playground surfaces and tracks.
A Competitor Group Inc. event, the 13th Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon & ½ Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will run through sunny San Diego on Sunday, June 6. The race has drawn a sold-out field, with live bands and cheerleaders interspersed along each mile of the scenic course. A two-day Health and Fitness Expo at the San Diego Convention Center will kick off race weekend, featuring more than one hundred fitness retailers, exhibits and interactive clinics. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will headline the post-race concert.
For more information, go to: http://san-diego.competitor.com or call (800) 311-1255.
