Shoes That Fit Blog by category: Events

The Sneaker Ball gala in celebration of Shoes's That Fit's 20 Year anniversary & donation of 1 Million pairs of new shoes was great fun & we appreciate all who attended! A special thanks to Wayne Niemi of Footwear News for joining us & writing this wonderful article!

The Sneaker Ball is finally here & we want you to come celebrate with us! After lots of planning & preparation, we are puttng the finishes touches on our gala in celebration of Shoes That Fit's 20 Year Anniversary and donation of 1 Million pairs of new shoes. We'd love for you to join us April 21st at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA for an evening of fun, food, friends & laughter! You don't want to miss this once in a lifetime event in celebration of the many children helped by the Shoes That Fit program across the country.
 
The Sneaker Ball kicks off with a hosted cocktail reception, live entertainment, gourmet meal and your chance to bid on our incredible live & silent auction items to include unbelievable vacation packages, quaint get-aways, designer fashion items from Jimmy Choo, Prada, & Cole Haan just to name a few! Of course, there will be a few unforgettable 'surprises' in between. 
 
Can't make it to the Sneaker Ball but still want to support this wonderful program? Your tax-deductible donation gladly accepted & appreciated!
 
Shoes That Fit is so excited to celebrate these milestones of 20 Years & 1 Million pairs of new shoes donated to children in need! We know that you believe as we do that-Every Child Deserves Shoes That Fit. See you at the Sneaker Ball!

Shoes That Fit is proud to announce that on March 11th our very own volunteer extraordinaire, Linda Ray, will be awarded the Heroes of the Heartland award by Stater Bros. Markets which includes $10,000 to donate to the charity of her choice!

Linda has been working her magic as a Shoes That Fit volunteer since 2004. She has led her Golden State Foods workplace in City of Industry in their Shoes That Fit endeavors, donating 2,234 pairs of brand new athletic shoes to children in need at 39 schools in eastern LA County, the Inland Empire and beyond. Linda’s site is geared to help an additional 7 schools before Spring Break. Potentially 525 more kids will be heading to school with shoes that fit—and smiles on their faces.
 
Linda says Shoes That Fit is more than just a workplace project.
 
“Partnering with Shoes That Fit not only has strengthened our community and our company’s culture,” says Linda, “but it is now a mission within my family that is being passed to a third generation.”
 
Linda’s Shoes That Fit work has inspired other Golden State Foods sites across the country from Washington state to North Carolina. From the beginning of the school year in August 2011 on through this past winter break, Golden State Foods chapters provided 1,674 pairs of new shoes to children in 8 states—all working with the same model Linda helped develop.
 
“Linda has taken time from her busy schedule to participate as a volunteer for our Foundation for many years,” says Renee Uribe, the current GSF Foundation Chair at their site. “Volunteers such as Linda are changing the lives and shaping the future for youth throughout our communities every day. She is truly an inspiration.”
 
 
“While Shoes That Fit is a national organization helping children in 40 states, we are focusing our growth in LA and Orange Counties and the Inland Empire,” says Roni Lomeli, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit. “If we could clone one volunteer to help us achieve our goals, it would be Linda Ray. By lashing her corporation’s commitment to community involvement to her personal and family passion for giving, Linda not only provides new shoes to hundreds of children each year, she inspires others to do the same.”

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Happy Holidays from the Shoes That Fit staff! As this year comes to an end, we wanted to say Thank You to all our volunteers, donors & school liaisons for their unwavering support of our mission to provide new shoes to children in need who wouldn't otherwise have them. Your support allows these deserving children to attend school in comfort and with dignity. As we head into 2012, we look forward to our 20 Year Anniversary which we will celebrate in April & to the donation of our 1 Millionth pair of shoes! We hope you'll continue to rally around the important work being done through our programs across the U.S. and look forward to another exciting year at Shoes That Fit!
 
Roni, Michelle, Lee and Barbara

Shoes That Fit, Nordstrom and New Balance have partnered once again to provide  nearly 12,000 children in need with new shoes this holiday season! Nordstrom’s Holiday Giving Tree Program, which takes place across the U.S. from November 25 through December 24 displays a holiday tree in 117 Nordstrom stores with tags you can purchase for $20. Each tag purchased represents a deserving child in your community who will receive a brand new pair of New Balance athletic shoes. So while you're out shopping this holiday season, pick a gift tag from the Giving Tree at your local Nordstrom & bring joy to a deserving child in need!

With temperatures soaring here in Southern California, we are pleased to announce the number of new shoes given to children through Shoes That Fit programs is also soaring! Our program manager Lee Kane has been compiling statistics from our volunteers across the country and we are inching closer to the donation of our 1 millionth pair of shoes! As of today, Shoes That Fit has donated 989,636 pairs of new shoes & other items to children in need. Our programs are in over 1,900 schools across 40 states and growing!  We will definitely be celebrating this milestone at our Sneaker Ball in April 2012!

Concerts Under the Stars fundraiser will begin July 30th & continue on August 6th & August 13th. 100% of your $55 donation goes to Shoes That Fit thanks to the Hafif Family Foundation who underwrites the entire cost of the event! Where else can you enjoy appetizers, dinner, dessert & live entertainment in a beautiful 150 acre estate nestled in the foothills of La Verne, CA?
 
MillerCoors will be sponsoring a shoe drive July 25th-August 8th at their Irwindale, CA facility. They have already helped children in need through their partnership with Shoes That Fit & the Irwindale Chamber of Commerce!
 
There are many ways you can keep up with Shoes That Fit:

• ‘LIKE’ us on facebook
• follow us on Twitter
• sign up for our eNewsletter (coming soon!) 

Swing into spring by helping a child in need
 
With the official start of Spring just a few days away, Shoes That Fit is off and running with our annual Spring for Shoes campaign in the Claremont Village, CA! Campaign runs from: March 25 –April 10, 2011. Under the leadership of Joan Bunte, owner of Stamp Your Heart Out, and the generosity of merchants throughout downtown Claremont, 200 local school children in need will be treated to new athletic shoes, socks and other goodies. Participation is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
 

1. You choose an empty basket with a child’s name, age and shoe size from any participating merchant
2. Fill the basket with a new pair of shoes, socks and treats
3. Return the basket to the store you picked it up from

 
And since you’ll already be in The Village picking up your Shoes That Fit basket to help a child in need feel great returning to school from spring break, hop around to some of the other participating merchants and pick up a few springtime goodies for yourself, too!
 
For more information or a complete list of participating merchants, contact Joan Bunte at Stamp Your Heart Out 909-621-4363
 

 
As we head into this holiday season, Shoes That Fit is thankful for all of our wonderful contributors and volunteers! Thousands of children across the country are given hope through the simple gift of a new pair of shoes and YOU make that possible.
 
There are many easy ways you can continue to help kids in need while preparing for the holidays. Here are just a few ideas to get you started…
 
·       While shopping at ANY Nordstrom store across the U.S., pick a gift tag from the “Giving Tree” to help a local child receive a new pair of New Balance shoes.
 
·       For each $50 donation in honor of someone, we will send one plain wrapped empty shoe box to your loved one with a note from you explaining that the box is empty because shoes were given to a child in need in their name. Also included will be a thank you note we received from a child helped by Shoes That Fit.
 
·        Your little one will be thrilled with the story of “Flip Flop Flo, the Know-It-All” written by Gloria Barone Rosanio. Sales of this wonderful children’s book benefit Shoes That Fit!
 
·       Vons & Safeway grocery stores throughout California now carry Causes Gift Cards! This card allows you to give the gift of giving; whomever you give them to can make a donation to any non-profit in the U.S. including Shoes That Fit! (purchase of the gift card is tax deductible).
 
·       Instead of the usual workplace gift exchange or “secret Santa”, ask your coworkers to purchase a new pair of athletic shoes or make a small donation to Shoes That Fit.
 
Happy Thanksgiving!
 

Shoes That Fit chapters across the country (35 states, to be exact) are gearing up for the fall season of helping children in need receive new shoes for school. We are so excited about all the children attending school in comfort and with dignity because of our volunteer force and generous community members like YOU!

• Here in our Emergency Warehouse, we received over 250 pairs of new shoes from our friends at California Sporting Goods Association, the non-profit arm of Division Six Sports and Forde-McGovern & Associates.
• Village Marketing Group helped 400 children return to school with new shoes, socks, backpacks & school supplies!

 Don't miss these upcoming events:

• Ruby's Diner in Newport Beach, CA will hold a Shoes That Fit "Fun"Raiser Friday, Sept.24th, 7am-10pm. They will donate 20% of all food sales to us when you present this flyer!
• Justice Jog 2010  in Century City, CA Sunday, Oct. 17, 8am-10:30am Support Shoes That Fit through this 5K Walk/Run hosted by Greater Los Angeles Association of Legal Administrators. More info & registration at glaala.org!

 
You can help a child start school on the right foot! Beginning July 31, the annual Shoes That Fit For School campaign kicks off in downtown Claremont, CA. This campaign, a project of the Village Marketing Group provides 400 children with new shoes, socks, backpacks and school supplies. The campaign will run July 31 – August 15
 
Visit a participating store in the Village to pick up a free backpack. Each backpack has a child's name, gender, age and shoe size. You purchase athletic shoes, socks & school supplies then simply return the backpack to the store you picked it up from!
Here is a partial list of participating businesses: 

• Stamp Your Heart Out
• Some Crust Bakery
• LePain Quotidien,
• Sonja Stump Photography
• Studio Claremont
• Young Chefs Academy
• Curves
• The Diamond Center
• Colors 91711
• Lizzie's Gold Mine
• Bert and Rocky's Cream Company
• Saca's Mediterranean Cuisine
• Aromatique
• First City Credit Union
• Claremont Village Treasures
• No Sugar Added
• Dr. Grubb's

With so many families struggling just to buy groceries, many children will return to school this year wearing the same worn out and torn shoes as last year...You can make a difference for one of these children and with all the sales going on in the village, you're sure to find a bargain or two for yourself or your own children! See you in the Village!  
 
 

July has just begun but lots of awesome things are already happening to help kids in need through Shoes That Fit.

• Blues & Brews fundraiser July 3rd was a sold out event with 850 people in attendance, not to mention the great jazz & blues bands playing throughout the Village. Thanks to all our supporters who came out; we all had a blast! 
• Concert Under the Stars Fundraiser at the estate of Herb & Kay Hafif in La Verne, CA begins July 24th & continues the following two Saturdays. Tickets still available, call or email our office today!
• Back to School Campaign in the Claremont Village, CA begins July 31st! Be on the lookout for more detail & sparticipating vendors coming soon!
• $10,000 in grants received today from BCM Foundation & the Walter Lantz Foundation!
• You can also follow us on facebook or twitter!

As National Volunteer Week continues (April 18th - April 24th) Shoes That Fit executive director Roni Lomeli gives practical tips on how you can incorporate volunteerism into your already busy schedule. As winner of the Harlequin More Than Words Award, a story titled THE PRINCESS SHOES inspired by Roni's work with Shoes That Fit was written by Maureen Child and is included in More Than Words, Vol.6. You could win a personalized, autographed copy from the author simply by posting a comment on Roni's Blog today!