Major Charitable Arm of Soccer in the U.S. collects 11,904 shoes to give to children in need

As a way to raise awareness about its Passback Program (an initiative to collect new and gently used soccer equipment and distribute it to those in need) and give children in economically disadvantaged areas access to proper soccer equipment, the U.S. Soccer Foundation broke the World Record for Longest Chain of Shoes at the 2009 NSCAA Convention held in St. Louis, Mo., on January 14-18 – stringing together 11,904 shoes.

The shoes were on display at the America's Center Convention Complex on January 15-17, where volunteers tied together all of the donated cleats. At the end of the weekend, all of the shoes and cleats were distributed to members of the Foundation’s Urban Soccer Collaborative (www.ussoccerfoundation.org/urbansoccer) and to local St. Louis organizations in need.

A ceremony was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, at the Convention Center to tie the last five pairs of cleats and to celebrate the breaking of the World Record. The following representatives had the honor of tying the last pairs of cleats:

• Lawrence Cann, Passback Recipient, Street Soccer USA
• Alex Kehm, Passback Star
• Sarah Pickens, Passback Program, U.S. Soccer Foundation
• Durward Williams, (Passback Program, Eurosport)
• Rudy Zimmermann, (NSCAA)

The Foundation received support from Eurosport, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and major athletic apparel companies to collect shoes and soccer cleats to break the previous record of 10,500. Passback Stars (individuals who collect and distribute soccer equipment within their local community) and youth soccer clubs also set up collections of their own to join the effort.

"Through this effort our Passback Stars and supporters can have fun while also leaving a positive footprint in St. Louis by giving local children the proper equipment they need to play soccer," said Sarah Pickens, Community Outreach and Development Coordinator of the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

Ways to get involved:
1) Donate your shoes.
    Box up and send all shoes to the following address:
    Eurosport
    Attn: Steve Fear
    431 US HWY 70-A East
    Hillsborough, NC 27278
**Please note (on the outside of the boxes) the number of cleats that are within each box.

2) Visit ussoccerfoundation.org/worldrecord to donate $10 to buy a pair of shoes for a child in need.

3) Spread the word! Join our Facebook Group at: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/108323.

About the U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s mission is to enhance, assist and grow the sport of soccer in the United States. Since 1995, the Foundation has provided $50 million in grants, financial support and loans to help programs and initiatives in all 50 states. Our grants support all levels of player, coach and referee development, as well as the renovation of existing playing fields and the development of new facilities. Hundreds of thousands of individuals have benefited from our financial support. Today, the Foundation continues its support of the game with a special focus on projects serving youth in underserved communities.  For more information, or to donate online, please visit ussoccerfoundation.org.

About the Passback Program
The Passback Program is a joint effort between the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Eurosport and Major League Soccer to help meet the soccer uniform and equipment needs of all communities, regardless of income, gender or location.  Since its inception, the program has grown enormously and thousands of pieces of equipment have been collected and distributed to schools, clubs and youth organizations across the nation. For more information, visit passback.org.

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