LMU Lions Donate Over 1,500 Shoes to Charity

Loyola Marymount University took the lead in donating the most pairs of shoes in a charity shoe drive sponsored by the West Coast Conference and Zappos.com, an online apparel and footwear company. The Lions collected more than 1,500 pair of new and gently used shoes, which will be donated to Soles4Souls, an international nonprofit that provides relief for victims of natural disasters.

“I am proud of the LMU Community for coming together and collecting for such a great cause. It says that our students and staff care about giving to those in need,” said Matt Casana, coordinator of student-athlete academic services.

The WCC organized the shoe drive to challenge each conference campus to collect the most shoes from December ’08 to the end of the conference basketball season. More than 5,200 pairs of shoes were collected in total. Gonzaga came in second with 1,183 pairs, followed by Pepperdine with 1,014.The Loyola Marymount student fan group received a free party at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas prior to its men’s basketball team’s first-round game Friday, March 6 at the 2009 WCC Basketball Championships

The gently used shoes will be distributed through Soles4Souls to individuals in need internationally. New shoes, donated by Soles4Souls and Zappos.com, will be distributed during the WCC Women’s Basketball Championship Final to youth from the Clark County School District and the After School All-Star program in Las Vegas.