Shoe Tsunami

They say that you're only ever as good as the people you keep around you -

and you know,

I really believe that's true.

I think I've said it before, but we're extremely fortunate to have some pretty amazing family and friends. No matter what I seem to get everyone dragged into, they're always willing to rise to the occasion and come along for the ride. To date, our family, friends and coworkers have helped us to ...

• Feed families in need at Thanksgiving
• Adopt families in need for Christmas
• Raise over $1,000 for CHD awareness at Sully's birthday drive
• Provide Christmas pajama baskets
• Donate blankets for Wyatt's Warmth from the Heart organization

In response to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan a couple weeks ago, my work decided to become a drop off location for Soles4Souls, an organization that provides used shoes to people in need. They've teamed up with Sports Chalet, and all raised shoes will be making their way to Japan after April 10th. (I'm really proud of my coworkers!)

I sent the word out to our family and friends, and within two days, my dad's co-workers had already raised two GIANT bags of shoes to donate to the cause. Thursday evening I got a text message from my girlfriend Nikki, who works at New Balance. They had recently had a promotional sale - bring in an old pair of sneakers and you got a percentage off a new pair in the store. Well, girlfriend worked it, and got the company to agree to donate ALL the exchanged shoes to my work for Soles4Souls. On top of 11 BOXES of shoes, New Balance also donated 4 HUGE bags of new shoes.

It pays to have friends in all the right places.

So Friday morning, I headed down from my office to pick up the loot. If there had been one single shoe left over, I swear, it would not have fit in my truck. We crammed every single space with shoes, in a desperate attempt to keep me from having to make a second trip back. (Its about a 45 minute round trip)

Nikki and Baby Alphonse (He's due next month! Woo!)

My car was packed to the ceiling, literally!

Me in the only space left in the car! (Funny story - As I was turning on the off ramp the shoes started to fall, and the irony hit me at the possibility I could die in a shoe tsunami that was headed for the tsunami victims.)

I got back to my office in one piece,even though I was convinced a cop would pull me over, look inside my truck and see that it looked like I slaughtered a shoe store inside. And for the entire rest of the day, myself and a volunteer sorted through the nearly THREE HUNDRED pairs of shoes - mating, tying and bagging them up. I'm not going to focus on the fact that I smelled like a dirty sneakers for the rest of the day, or that my two pointer fingers are permanently chaffed on each side from all the looping and tying. Its worth it.

We're doing a count on Monday, but we estimate that the families at our center have helped to raise an additional 100-200 pairs of shoes. We're close to breaking through the 500 mark!

I'm extremely proud of the people we know.

I'm forever grateful of the things everyone has helped us accomplish over the years.

Thank you, all of you, for helping us to make a positive impact on the world, for believing that we can still be that change, no matter how small of an impact we're making in the larger scheme of things. (And Nikki, you're amazing. It wouldn't have been possible on this scale without your help.)

"Do you want to know who you are? Act.

Action will delineate and define you"

- Thomas Jefferson