COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- DSW Designer
Shoe Warehouse (NYSE: DBI), a leading branded footwear and
accessories retailer, today announced a new shoe donation campaign
made possible by DSW's 26 million VIP loyalty members. The campaign
celebrates DSW's robust community donating a staggering 1 million
pairs of shoes in the past year. Contributions from customers and
DSW have also enabled 100,000 pairs of new shoes to be distributed
to kids in need nationwide this summer, just in time for back to
school.
Former New York Giants player and fashion industry favorite
Victor Cruz kicked off the campaign
on May 9 at BronxWorks in
New York City by hosting the first
of eight shoe donation ceremonies for kids with DSW Gives'
philanthropic partner Soles4Souls. During the afterschool ceremony,
Cruz surprised over 100 kids with new shoes from DSW, encouraging
them to express themselves by customizing their new shoes. The kids
also laced up their new kicks and received a once in a lifetime
opportunity to throw a football with one of the NFL's most coveted
players.
"I was excited to join DSW in distributing the first round of
shoes to kids because style and giving back are such huge parts of
my life," said Cruz. "It's amazing what kids can accomplish with
something as simple as a pair of shoes - it makes them feel like
they can run faster, jump higher, and sparks their sense of style
and confidence."
"With his deep ties to fashion and charity, Victor Cruz was the perfect choice to kick off
our shoe donation campaign with kids who will benefit from our
community's generosity," said DSW CMO Amy Stevenson. "We're excited
to celebrate our customers enabling thousands of kids across the
U.S. to receive a new pair of shoes to help them conquer the new
school year."
Launched last year, DSW Gives is a philanthropic platform for
the DSW community with partners including Soles4Souls and Be
Strong. Next up, DSW Gives and Soles4Souls will bring the campaign
on the road between June – September
2019, donating the remaining shoes to kids in cities
including: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Riverside (CA), Portland (OR), Richmond (VA), and New Jersey. Additionally, this summer, DSW
Gives and Soles4Souls are hosting their first-ever service trip
where customers will be able to directly take part in the
distribution of shoes to a community. The first one will take place
in the Dominican Republic in
August, with many more to follow.
"We're honored that DSW Gives and Soles4Souls kicked off their
shoe donation summer campaign at our Classic Community Center here
in the Bronx," said Eileen Torres, BronxWorks Executive Director.
"Providing a new pair of shoes and the opportunity to meet a local
NFL star inspires a world of possibilities for our children and
we're extremely grateful."
Please click HERE to watch
video of the May 9 ceremony with
Victor Cruz and click
HERE to download behind the scenes photos from the
event.
To donate and learn more about DSW Gives, visit
www.dsw.com/philanthropy.
Join the conversation on social media using @DSW and
#DSWGives.
ABOUT DSW
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse is a leading
branded footwear and accessories retailer offering a wide selection
of brand name and designer dress, casual and athletic footwear and
accessories for women, men and kids. DSW operates more than 500
locations in 44 states and operates a robust ecommerce website at
www.dsw.com, a mobile site at m.dsw.com and via mobile app.
Founded in 1991, DSW is a division of Columbus, Ohio-based Designer Brands Inc.
ABOUT DESIGNER BRANDS INC.
Designer Brands Inc. is
one of North America's largest
designers, producers and retailers of footwear and accessories. The
Company operates a portfolio of retail concepts in nearly 1,000
locations under the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse®, The Shoe Company®
and Shoe Warehouse® banners and services footwear departments in
the U.S. through its Affiliated Business Group. Designer Brands
designs and produces footwear and accessories through Camuto Group,
a leading manufacturer selling in more than 5,400 doors worldwide.
The Camuto Group owns licensing rights for the Jessica Simpson®
footwear business, and footwear and handbag licenses for Lucky
Brand® and Max Studio®. In partnership with a joint venture with
Authentic Brands Group, Designer Brands also owns a stake in Vince
Camuto®, Louise et Cie®, Sole Society®, CC Corso Como®, Enzo
Angiolini® and others. More information can be found at
www.designerbrands.com.
ABOUT SOLES4SOULS
Soles4Souls disrupts the cycle of
poverty by creating sustainable jobs and providing relief through
the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world.
Headquartered in Nashville,
Tennessee, the organization repurposes product to supply its
micro-enterprise, disaster relief and direct assistance programs.
Since 2006, we have distributed more than 35 million pairs of shoes
in 127 countries and generated over $250
million in economic impact. A non-profit social enterprise,
Soles4Souls earns more than 70% of its income and commits 100% of
donations to programs. Visit soles4souls.org for more
information.
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nfl-legend-victor-cruz-kicks-off-dsws-shoe-donation-summer-campaign-300848025.html
SOURCE DSW Inc.