Sport Chalet and Soles4Souls pair up

Sport Chalet is teaming up with Soles4Souls for the second time in two years to provide shoes to the victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.

The pair first partnered up in January 2010 to collect shoes for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Sport Chalet was approached by Soles4Souls again recently to help those impacted by Japan’s natural disaster.

This year’s collection begins Friday and ends on April 10. All 55 Sport Chalet locations, including La Cañada (2 Sport Chalet Drive), will offer customers a place to drop off their gently-worn pairs of shoes. All donations will directly support relief efforts.

“As we keep those affected by the tsunami in our thoughts, we cannot forget how important basic necessities — such as shoes — will be for our friends in Japan,” said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, in a press release.

Jacqueline Collard, Sport Chalet’s senior marketing manager, hopes this year’s response is similar to group’s previous experience.

“Our customers were extremely generous and they came out and donated 1.3 million pairs of shoes,” Collard said. “In essence, that was such a huge response that when they reached out to us again, of course we decided to assist.”

A special phone number, (818) 359-3295, has been created this time around to assist those who have more than 500 pairs of shoes to donate, which Collard said wouldn’t be out of the ordinary, based on last year’s response to the Haiti crisis.

“We literally had truck loads last time,” she said.

Collard said that the Sport Chalet family is proud to offer their customers a way to be charitable in an economic crisis by giving an old pair of shoes that are collecting dust in a closet somewhere to those in need.

“With the threat of a tsunami coming so close to home, it is a natural response for Sport Chalet to offer our resources to help those who have been affected by this disaster,” said David Hacker, Sport Chalet’s director of marketing, in a prepared statement.

For more information on how to get involved and donate to the victims in Haiti, visit www.giveshoes.org.