They say all good “soles” go to heaven, and now shoes from the Fairmont Fit program will get a second life with Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that collects gently worn and new shoes for redistribution to those in need. Starting this fall, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will donate footwear from Fairmont Fit, a program which offers members of Fairmont President’s Club, the brand’s exclusive guest recognition program, access to adidas athletic apparel for use during their stay. Guests and community members are also invited to drop off gently worn and new shoes at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York, Winnipeg’s Fairmont Winnipeg, Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser, Edmonton’s Fairmont Hotel MacDonald and at other Fairmont hotels across North America from Monday, January 19 to Friday, January 23, 2009.
To launch this new partnership, Fairmont is providing a little incentive to begin the New Year on the right foot and stick with those resolutions to get in shape. In recognition of this support, Fairmont Fit partner adidas will offer each shoe donor an exclusive discount card for 15% off adidas merchandise, to be used online at http://www.shopadidas.com or http://www.shopadidas.ca.
Soles4Souls is an international organization that facilitates the donation and redistribution of shoes to people in need in over 60 countries. Donations from individuals, companies and other organizations help Soles4Souls fulfill its mission to impact lives with the gift of shoes. This simple act helps provide a basic need; quality shoes help protect feet from cuts, scrapes and contaminants that can lead to potentially serious health care issues. Started in 2004 in response to the Tsunami disaster, Soles4Souls has grown rapidly, resulting in over 3.3 million pairs of shoes being given away to date.
Fairmont Fit, which has proven extremely popular in its first year of operation in North American hotels, will be expanding to all international locations later this year. Fairmont President’s Club members can order adidas shorts, t-shirts and athletic shoes, all delivered to their room, for use during their stay.* As shoes slowly become worn in, and as seasonal changes of styles are provided by adidas, hotels are left with items that are suitable for donating. Fairmont, long a leader in environmental stewardship and responsible tourism, continually seeks ways to minimize the footprint of its hotels. In support of these efforts, Fairmont will donate footwear to Soles4Souls, and hotels will also donate the gently used apparel to local charities.
“We’re proud to support Soles4Souls’ efforts. The partnership makes sense; with locations around the world, we can provide sizable quantities of a much needed item, but we also mitigate our impact on the planet,” noted Brian Richardson, Fairmont’s Vice President Brand Marketing and Communications.
“We are very pleased that Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and adidas have joined forces with Soles4Souls to make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people in need,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls, Inc. “This program will not only benefit victims of natural disasters and those living in extreme poverty, but it will help reduce the vast number of shoes that end up in our landfills,” he said.
Fairmont President’s Club is the hotel company’s premier guest recognition program, providing frequent guests with certain benefits and privileges during their stay. Membership is complimentary and guests can enroll online at http://www.fairmont.com, by calling 1-800-663-7575 or at any Fairmont location worldwide.
*The Fairmont Fit program is complimentary for Premier and Platinum level members of Fairmont President’s Club. A $10 fee per stay will apply for Club level members, for unlimited use of apparel during their stay.
