We are excited to announce our newest partnership with Run For Your Lives!

During 2012, Run For Your Lives (a Reed Street Production) is hosting 11 separate races throughout various cities in the US. These are races where your legs giving out are the least of your problems. Run For Your Lives is a first-of-its-kind event, one part 5K, one part obstacle course, one part escaping the clutches of zombies — and all parts awesome.

Runners will navigate a series of 12 obstacles throughout a 5K course in an attempt to reach the finish line — all while avoiding zombies. At the end of this adventure race, you get to celebrate survival (or zombie transformation) with live entertainment and music, local celebrities, vendors and food.

Project Sole will be at each event encouraging participants to avoid zombies, finish strong and of course, to donate their muddy shoes. These shoes will be processed with the rest of our s

hoe collections and sent to benefit the feet of people in numerous developing countries.

The event schedules and locations are as follows:

• Atlanta, GA – 3/3
• Boston, MA – 5/5
• Minneapolis, MN – 6/2
• Indianapolis, IN – 6/23
• Denver, CO – 7/14
• Portland, OR – 8/4
• St. Louis, MO – 8/18
• Pittsburgh, PA – 9/1
• San Diego, CA – 10/20
• Baltimore, MD – 10/27
• Austin, TX – 12/15

For more information on Run For Your Lives and their races, please visit their site: www.runforyourlives.com

Register your organization to participate in a shoe-drive humanitarian fundraiser. They are simple, fun and rewarding. Here is a simple outline of how they are accomplished:

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Getting set up with myPROJECTSOLE is quick and easy. And we promise it’s completely painless!

STEP 1: REGISTER. We just ask for basic contact information and allow you to create a login.

STEP 2: YOUR DASHBOARD.

Here you get a summary of your accomplishments.

STEP 3: GET STARTED.

The black box allows you to register a new shoe-drive and set a goal for the number of pairs you plan to collect.

The request materials icon allows you to access door-hangers, flyers, a PDF booklet outlining how to run a successful shoe-drive, and other tools you’ll need during the event.

Below the line is a detailed table outlining each event you’ve created.

STEP 4: PROMOTE AND ARCHIVE.

During the shoe-drives, we encourage you to upload pictures and articles to your myPROJECTSOLE page that we can use to help promote and archive your events.

STEP 5: WRAP UP

Use myPROJECTSOLE to input the shipping information so that we can arrange to have the shoes picked up from your event. Don’t forget to print shipping labels for the boxes!

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Click here to register and begin your humanitarian fundraiser Shoe-Drive today!

“Why did you begin Project Sole and what’s in it for you?”

This is my response:

I love Project Sole. I love what it stands for and how it helps so many people in so many ways. I love how it promotes thorough education, charitable causes, carbon footprint reduction, and offers a lending a hand (foot) to people in need – and does it all so efficiently.

I love how it sustains others, while asking nothing for itself. We are yet to ask for a monetary donation and have no future plans to ask you to reach into your pocket for support.

I love how anyone can participate and how even the smallest donations still make a significant contribution. I love how we can partner up with high schools, universities, churches, non-profits, little league teams, major corporations and Boy Scouts to help them raise money.

I love knowing that because of our efforts, people around the world can step through life more comfortably.

I love knowing that old tennis shoes don’t have to sit in my closet and that runners now have an excellent option for shoes which have logged too many miles.

I love cheering for the underdog and seeing a simple idea grow and progress into a worldwide method of helping.

I suppose that instead of spending all my free-time making this project successful, I could have been playing video games/working out/watching movies/fishing/sleeping/etc… But the truth is, I love contributing to something remarkable. It’s an adrenaline rush.

That’s what’s in it for me.

We want to provide a little holiday cheer by offering this uniquely cool Project Sole Ornament.

Click image to enlarge.

About Karhu Running Shoes

Karhu is a Finnish sports brand that markets running shoes, sportswear, and skiing and other sports equipment in Finland and abroad. Karhu’s main line of running shoes is based on their “Fulcrum Technology”, which has been developed in cooperation with the University of Jyväskylä since the 1980s. The line includes several models for both men and women, intended to suit different types of pronation and training or racing needs. Karhu does not produce off-road or trail running shoes.

In 2009, the Karhu Fulcrum Strong model of running shoe was awarded “Best Debut” by Runner’s World magazine.

The Karhu brand has also been used for a line of casual shoes called Karhu Originals. Karhu Originals are a range of retro inspired footwear, which were nominated for “Sneaker of the Year 2005″ at the Global Sports Style Awards in Munich in 2005.

Here is the largest percentage of changes adults are making to save money:

• 64% have been purchasing more generic brands
• 47% are brown bagging lunch instead of buying it
• 43% have been going to hairdressers or barbers less often
• 36% have switched to tap water and refillable bottles instead of bottled water
• 34% have cancelled one or more magazine subscriptions

Smaller numbers, but numbers that represent many millions of people, have also:

• Cut back on dry cleaning (22%)
• Cancelled or cut back their cable TV service (21%)
• Stopped buying coffee in the morning (20%)
• Changed or cancelled their cell phone service (15%)
• Been carpooling or using mass transit (14%)
• Cancelled their telephone landline service and are only using their cell phones (12%)

This data suggests that we are still in for additional belt-tightening. I’ve heard a lot of analysts suggest that fundraisers shouldn’t get TOO optimistic about 2010 projections. Times are tough.

That may be true, but isn’t it relieving to know there is an alternative way to raise needed funds without asking for supporters to dig into their pockets monetary donations?

Her reasons were:

1. Someone I know asked me to give
2. I felt emotionally moved by someone’s story
3. I want to feel I’m not powerless in the face of need and can help (this is especially true during disasters)
4. I want to feel I’m changing someone’s life
5. I feel a sense of closeness to a community or group
6. I need a tax deduction
7. I want to memorialize someone (who is struggling or died of a disease, for example)
8. I was raised to give to charity – it’s tradition in my family
9. I want to be “hip” and supporting this charity (ie, wearing a yellow wrist band) is in style
10. It makes me feel connected to other people and builds my social network
11. I want to have a good image for myself/my company
12. I want to leave a legacy that perpetuates me, my ideals or my cause
13. I feel fortunate (or guilty) and want to give something back to others
14. I give for religious reasons – God wants me to share my affluence
15. I want to be seen as a leader/role model

What an interesting concept! How many of us have been blessed or burdened because of our progenitors? Although these situations do not determine who we ultimately become, or the amount of success we might achieve, they definitely can influence our path in life.

Our effort to raise money for schools, scholarships and charities is directly ordering for future benefactors. Let’s not get frustrated if previous generations didn’t pave a golden path for us, but let’s make sure that we use this as an opportunity to give.

Sometimes we advocate great causes, pledge to improve the world, and portray charitable characteristics as ways to cover our own blemishes. Be careful that we stay true to ourselves, less we offer horse portions of pie to those around us.

Likewise, seek to align your efforts with causes that truly deserve your support. It may take time and you may discover that there are fewer organizations than you originally thought, but a slice of rabbit pie is much more satisfying than 10 horse platters.

Las Vegas (April 13, 2010) – In celebration of Earth Day and in the spirit of Carlos Santana’s continued environmental and humanitarian efforts, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits  is partnering with Project Sole, a local nonprofit formed to collect durable footwear for communities in-need.

Fans will be encouraged to recycle their gently-used shoes during Santana’s next set of performances at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino from April 21 through May 2 to support worldwide disaster relief. As a “thank you” to those who donate, fashionable shoe brands Carlos by Carlos Santana and Unity by Carlos Santana will offer a generous discount of 20 percent off their merchandise.

“More than 300 million children around the world are barefoot and therefore deprived of one of life’s basic necessities,” said Jaron Wilson of Project Sole. “The donations made by Santana fans will go to benefit disaster efforts in Chile after the recent, devastating 8.8 earthquake. In addition, they help protect the environment and allow us to continue the cycle of giving, one step at a time.”

Concertgoers and the general public are welcome to drop off new and gently-worn footwear mainly for donation to disaster relief in Chile. Some shoes will also be donated to local shelters and schools. Volunteers and staff from Project Sole will be collecting shoes before each performance of Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits from Wednesday, April 21 through Sunday, May 2 (show time is 8 p.m.). Shoe donations can also be made at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Box Office daily from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.  Recycled shoes will be delivered by Project Sole to schools, shelters and other community organizations around the world and around our town.

About Project Sole

About Carlos Santana

Forty years and as many albums later, Santana has sold more than 90 million records and has performed to more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date, Santana has won ten GRAMMY® Awards, including a record-tying nine for a single project, 1999’s Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Smooth”). In 1998, the group was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, whose web page on their induction notes, “Guitarist Carlos Santana is one of rock’s true virtuosos and guiding lights.” Among many other honors, Carlos Santana has also been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time,” and #90 on their 2005 survey of the “100 Greatest Artists Of All Time.”