Dubai: Dubai-based footwear chain Shoe Mart has collected 12,000 pairs of used shoes so far in its Happy Feet campaign for the needy.
The shoe donation campaign, held in conjunction with Emirates Red Crescent, started on October 13 and ends on October 21 across all its participating stores in Dubai.
The collected shoes will be donated to Emirates Red Crescent who will distribute them to people in need around the world.
All Shoe Mart stores in Dubai, including Centrepoint stores, are inviting its patrons with old and usable shoes for donation as part of the annual initiative.
As a token of appreciation, Shoe Mart had said it would reward its first 2,000 customers with a gift voucher worth Dh100 each. “We achieved this in the first few hours of the campaign itself on Friday,” said Nikhil Chaturvedi, senior manager for marketing at Shoe Mart and Shoe Mart International.
Also, for every old pair donated by customers, Shoe Mart is rewarding customers with a gift voucher worth Dh25 each. The vouchers can be redeemed before October 31 at any Shoe Mart store in Dubai.
Last year, Shoe Mart collected more than 17,000 pairs of shoes from its Dubai stores over a period of one week. The brand is looking to double the number of participations this year through the unique rewards programme.
Chaturvedi said: “We established this Happy Feet initiative two years ago and have experienced enthusiastic participation ever since. It is heartening to see so many helping hands come forward for a common cause and it is our responsibility to appreciate the gesture befittingly. It also instils a sense of responsibility towards the society we live in. The very fact that our old shoes that lay in racks unused could actually be someone’s basic need is an eye-opener to many. We are happy that we are able to bring some cheer in many lives.”
He added: “The initiative stemmed out of the fact that many people around the world are not fortunate enough to have the means to protect their feet. This is why Shoe Mart decided to start this initiative which would provide the basic necessity of protecting ones feet by providing shoes to as many people as possible.”
Rupa Dhakan, 50, a housewife who participated in the campaign, said: “It feels great to be a part of such an initiative. Our family donated about 19 pairs this weekend through Shoe Mart to the needy. I have a three-year-old grandchild who grows out of his shoes every few months. We need to keep buying new ones and throw the old ones away, which are in absolute pristine condition. With this novel initiative we were able to donate the shoes to those in need and buy new ones for our kids as well!”
