TORONTO—They say all good “soles” go to heaven, and now shoes from the Fairmont Fit program will get a second life with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit organization that collects gently worn and new shoes for redistribution to those in need. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is donating footwear from Fairmont Fit, a program which offers members of Fairmont President’s Club, the brand’s exclusive guest recognition program, access to adidas athletic apparel for use during their stay.
Fairmont is also providing a little incentive to begin the New Year on the right foot and stick with those resolutions to get in shape. Guests and community members are invited to drop off gently worn and new shoes at Fairmont locations across North America from Monday, January 19 to Friday, January 23, 2009, and the Fairmont team will do the rest. In recognition of this support, Fairmont Fit partner adidas will offer an exclusive discount card for 15 percent off adidas merchandise, to be used online at www.shopadidas.com or www.shopadidas.ca.
Soles4Souls is an international organization that facilitates the donation and redistribution of shoes to people in need in more than 60 countries. Donations from individuals, companies and other organizations help Soles4Souls fulfill its mission to impact lives with the gift of shoes. This simple act helps provide a basic need; quality shoes help protect feet from cuts, scrapes and contaminants that can lead to potentially serious healthcare issues. Started in 2004 in response to the Tsunami disaster, Soles4Souls has grown rapidly, resulting in more than 3.3 million pairs of shoes being given away to date.
Fairmont Reducing Its ‘Footprint’
Fairmont Fit is available in the United States, Canada, Europe, Bermuda, Barbados, Cairo, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Fairmont President’s Club members can order adidas shorts, t-shirts and athletic shoes, all delivered to their room, for use during their stay. As shoes slowly become worn in, and as seasonal changes of styles are provided by adidas, hotels are left with items that are suitable for donating. Fairmont, long a leader in environmental stewardship and responsible tourism, continually seeks ways to minimize the footprint of its hotels. In support of these efforts, Fairmont will donate footwear to Soles4Souls, and hotels will also donate the gently used apparel to local charities.
“We’re proud to support Soles4Souls’ efforts,” said Brian Richardson, Fairmont’s Vice President Brand Marketing and Communications. “The partnership makes sense; with locations around the world, we can provide sizable quantities of a much needed item, but we also mitigate our impact on the planet.”
“We are very pleased that Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and adidas have joined forces with Soles4Souls to make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people in need,” said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. “This program will not only benefit victims of natural disasters and those living in extreme poverty, but it will help reduce the vast number of shoes that end up in our landfills.”
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