Northeast Ohio local shoe store, Kicks Lounge, raised $16,000 for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank in December by raffling off one pair of shoes. The raffle was for the highly sought-after Men’s Air Jordan 1 Retro ‘Chicago’ aka ‘Lost and Found’ sneakers.
Nike re-released the iconic white, red and black leather sneaker in November 2022. Kicks Lounge’s innovation and creativity turned the pair of shoes valued at $180 into nearly 64,000 meals for local individuals struggling with hunger.
“I was thrilled to hear about the success of this raffle. What a fun and impactful way to help the Foodbank during a time when we really need it,” said Dan Flowers, president and CEO of the Foodbank. “Local fundraisers like Kicks Lounge’s sneaker raffle can make such a meaningful impact.”
Individuals could purchase a $3 raffle ticket to enter the national online raffle. To enter the local raffle, individuals living in the Akron area could visit a number of local stores and take a photo of themselves or their purchase and share it on social media. In three days, more than 5,000 raffle tickets were sold.
"Community is the core of who we are at Kicks Lounge. We make it our mission to always give back to our supporters and our neighborhood," said Kicks Lounge.
Kicks Lounge, established in the ‘90s, sells footwear and apparel at two locations in Akron and in Youngstown. Visit kickslounge.com for more information.
“It is remarkable to see how Kicks Lounge was able to create a new and exciting way to give back to the community. We could not distribute food to our neighbors without the support of our community,” said Alex Branham, corporate and community engagement coordinator at the Foodbank. “We are so thankful to have local donors that believe in our vision of a hunger-free community.”