Charity Works: Mephisto Co-Sponsors Anti-Bullying Concert + More News
Click here to read the full article.
Please send tips on footwear brands and retailers that are participating in charitable causes to ccarballo@footwearnews.com.
Aug. 28, 2019: French comfort-fashion brand Mephisto served as co-sponsor for an Aug. 23 concert in Los Angeles that benefited Creative Visions’ #IAmNoJoke Project, an anti-bullying coalition. Performers at the event included singer-songwriter and #IamNoJoke founder Andrew Cole, Black Eyed Peas guitarist George Pajon Jr. and vocalist Rachel Lorin. As part of its sponsorship, Mephisto outfitted the entertainers and provided a pair of Mephisto x Concepts Apple Match Shoes to be raffled off. Mephisto boots worn by Pajon Jr. onstage are to be auctioned off as the anti-bullying campaign continues; contributions can be made online at Creative Visions’ website.
More from Footwear News
Toms Partners With Hasbro to License Shoes Featuring My Little Pony, Candy Land & More
The Collabs: Ales Grey Creates Blinged-out Sneakers With Swarovski + More Releases
What Wolverine, Capri and More Fashion Groups Are Saying About Trump's New China Tariffs
Aug. 28, 2019: Shoe Station is teaming up with United Way to give back. On Sept. 20, the Southeastern chain will launch its “Every Step, Every Community” — with collection bins for new and gently used shoes in 21 of its locations. Shoe Station will donate $10,000 to charity; it will also give consumers the chance to win $10,000 in cash. “We want to help put shoes on the feet of EVERYONE in our community, be they traditional customers or those who are cannot afford them on their own. This is the biggest charitable initiative we have had in our company’s 35 years,” Shoe Station president and CEO Brent Barkin said in a statement.
Aug. 27, 2019: Nurse Mates is launching its fourth annual #GiveHeartsFor Kids campaign, devoting August and September to childhood cancer awareness. Beginning Aug. 26, a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of two limited-edition sneakers will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The shoes retail for $65, and Nurse Mates will donate $25 for each pair sold. Additionally, $1 (up tp $10,000), will be given for every post including a heart on Instagram using the hashtag #GiveHeartsForKids during the month of September (limited to one post per Instagram user).
Aug. 27, 2019: Country music star Brantley Gilbert is partnering with Georgia Boot on a promotion benefitting the USO. Fans at select concerts will have the chance to purchase Georgia boots online now through Oct. 21, using a special promotional code at GeorgiaBoot.com that will be displayed on-screen behind the performer. A portion of the proceeds of these sales will be donated to the USO.
Aug. 23, 2019: Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is kicking off the 2019 MLB Player’s Weekend today by raising awareness and funds for spinal cord research foundation Wings For Life. The baseball star partnered with three local Chicago street artists to offer customized Adidas KB17 cleats and Bryant’s signature Chandler baseball bats for an auction at the Wings for Life Golf Classic on Sept. 23 that will benefit the charity. Fans also bid on the items online.
Aug. 20, 2019: September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and to draw more attention to the cause, Dallas-based flip-flop brand Hari Mari has pledged to donate all its profits on Friday, Sept. 13, to its Flops Fighting Cancer initiative. Since its inception in 2012, Hari Mari has set aside 1% of its annual sales for Flops Fighting Cancer, a program aimed at alleviating the financial burden that a pediatric cancer diagnosis places on families. In addition to partnering with hospitals and organizations in Texas and nationally, Hari Mari also hosts a quarterly “Flop Drop” to give flip-flops to children in treatment.
Aug. 14, 2019: Wolverine has teamed up with students and faculty from the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA) to create two styles of Journeyman work boots. All proceeds from the exclusive gray boot, sold on Wolverine.com from Aug. 20 to Sept. 3, will go to ACBA. Additionally, Wolverine will donate 5% of proceeds from every pair of Journeyman boots sold online and at its retail partners to ACBA from Aug. 20 to Dec. 31.
Aug. 12, 2019: Barcelona-based shoe startup Tropicfeel has announced it will donate $10,000 to two environmental projects that were chosen by fans through a crowdfunding campaign. The recipients are the Orangutan Foundation International’s reforestation program, which works to maintain habitats in Tanjung Puting National Park; and the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s Fight for Our Reef project, which seeks to slow coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. Tropicfeel was founded in 2017 by Alberto Espinos and has a global perspective. With a focus on travel-related sneakers, the brand uses recycled and eco-friendly materials in its products and sets aside 1% from each sale on Tropicfeel.com toward an annual charity donation. This marks its first such philanthropic gift.
Aug. 8, 2019: Toms teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund to create a limited-edition footwear collection featuring two women’s and two kids’ styles. Proceeds support saving monarch butterflies from extinction; their population dipped nearly 90% in the last 20 years as a result of habitat loss and climate change. Toms kicked off the partnership by donating $50,000 to Biodiversity Works, an organization dedicated to habitat restoration. The collection is a part of the brand’s Toms Animal Initiative, which partners with nonprofit animal conservation and protection organizations internationally on awareness campaigns and other support.
Aug. 5, 2019: Georgia Boot is partnering with the National 4-H Council to provide critical resources to support the organization’s efforts to help empower youth across the country with a range of life skills. Alumni, current members, staff and volunteers will receive a special promotional code from 4-H email and social channels in August and September for a discount on purchases at GeorgiaBoot.com. Georgia will then donate a portion of the proceeds back to the group upon discount redemption. Through its network of more than 100 public universities, 4-H’s research-backed programs reach young people through school and community clubs, in-school and after-school programs, and 4-H camps.
Aug. 2, 2019: Bargain-hunters get ready. On Aug. 24, Wolverine Worldwide will host its 10th annual United Way Super Mega Warehouse Sale to benefit the Heart of West Michigan United Way. The event, held in a warehouse adjacent to the company’s Rockford, Mich., headquarters, will offer deep discounts — as much as 70% off — on shoes and apparel from its 10 brands, including Merrell, Saucony, Keds, Wolverine and Stride Rite. In previous years, the sale has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the United Way and is the chapter’s single-biggest fundraiser. Doors will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Want more? See how other brands and retailers are giving back.
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
