August 19
August 19, 2008
Edna Breaux Uzee
August 21, 2008
Shoe Carnival stores announced this week that they are partnering with Soles4Souls in launching a national trade-in program at all 300 store locations, including the Houma site.
Soles4Souls is an international charity that helps provide footwear for those in need.
The Nashville-based organization has distributed over 3.3 million pairs of shoes to people in 60 countries including Honduras, Romania, Thailand and the Sudan
The program, which starts on Sept. 3 and runs through Sept. 24, raises money through customers’ $2 cash donations.
“Our customers are going to get the opportunity to donate $2 and that goes toward the purchase of a new pair of shoes for someone that may have never had a new pair of shoes before,” said Stacy Carr, promotions planner for Shoe Carnival. “Their (Soles4Souls) cost for a new pair of shoes is $2 so it literally goes to a new pair of shoes for somebody else.”
Shoe Carnival is matching its customers’ generosity by adding a shoe donation to the mix.
Customers can donate a pair of new or gently worn shoes at any location and receive a $5 off coupon for their next purchase.
Those shoes will also be given to someone in need.
Shoe Carnival and Soles4Souls have done promotional work before, but never of this magnitude, Carr said.
“We’re the first ones to ever do this with them so we’re excited about that,” she added. “Right now, we have it scheduled one other time this year. We’re looking at hopefully becoming a really good partner and, hopefully, our customers will embrace the program.”
This is the first time Shoe Carnival and Soles4Souls have gotten together on a company-wide level, but Carr believes it will be a success.
For more information visit www.shoecarnival.com or www.give-shoes.org.
Shoe Carnival on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houma is offering a discount to customers in exchange for a donation to Soles4Souls. * Photo by KYLE CARRIER
