Sport Chalet collects shoes for earthquake victims

But in recent days the company's 55 stores have been deluged with visitors dropping off used shoes to be given to victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. "I've heard that we already have in excess of 68,000 pairs of donated shoes - and we only started this on Friday," said Jacqueline Collard, Sport Chalet's senior marketing manager. "It's been overwhelming. troops and others sifted through the debris in search of survivors. Visitors to any Sport Chalet store will be able to drop off shoes through Jan. 31. Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Advertisement said Sport Chalet is providing help when the need is crucial. "We deeply appreciate the support of Sport Chalet and their customers in helping us provide shoes to survivors and volunteers as they work in horrific conditions," he said. Craig Levra, Sport Chalet's chairman and CEO, said Southern California lives under the same threat of serious earthquakes, so it was a natural response for the company to help. "Being reminded of how fragile our world is, and seeing the devastation that has affected so many, makes it evident that our continued partnership with charities like Soles4Souls is more relevant than ever," Levra said in a statement. Sport Chalet has placed the donation bins in the front of its stores to make shoppers well aware of the campaign. "We've had to empty the bins, put the shoes in back and then bring the bins back up several times," Collard said. "People have just been super generous. When they buy new shoes they put their old ones there. And we've had tons of interest from other groups that have gone out to gather up shoes from the community and leave them with us." Collard said the retailer was initially planning to send the donated shoes to Soles4Souls' Las Vegas facility. But so many shoes have been collected that they may have to be shipped directly to the charity's Tennessee headquarters.