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Pepperdine Athletics Department Seeks Charitable Contributions for Soles4Souls

Shoe-less students around Pepperdine's campus this holiday season may be headed to the beach, but more than likely, they are helping to raise awareness about the Pepperdine Athletics Department's goal of collecting 500 pairs of shoes by Feb. 17. The project is part of a community service initiative by the West Coast Conference (WCC) to contribute shoes to Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that has donated over one million pairs of shoes to disaster victims at home and abroad.

All eight WCC schools have been invited to participate in the initiative, which began in December. The school that donates the most shoes will be recognized at the WCC men's and women's basketball championships held March 6-9, 2009, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and awarded a pre-game party for their student-fan group. While the goal of the WCC is to raise 500 pairs of shoes total, Pepperdine's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the student-fan group "Riptide" have committed to exceeding that goal on its own.

"The purpose of this West Coast Conference initiative is two-fold," says Heather Collart, director of marketing and alumni relations for the Pepperdine athletics department. "First, to help a worthy cause in Soles4Souls; secondly, to raise the excitement and competitive spirit surrounding the West Coast Conference Championships."

Soles4Souls collection boxes are placed strategically around Pepperdine's Malibu campus at the following locations: Firestone Fieldhouse lobby, Waves Café, Howard A. White Center, One Stop, and the School of Law. Fans are encouraged to donate shoes that are new, gently used, or in good condition.

On Saturday, Dec. 7, barefooted members of the Pepperdine SAAC passed out informational flyers for the cause at the men's basketball game against UC Irvine. The SAAC is also currently running an athletics team competition to see which team can donate the most shoes before Christmas.

Senior Waves women's volleyball player, Julie Rubenstein, is the president of the SAAC at Pepperdine and the SAAC national representative for the WCC. She says the competition is a great way to raise awareness. "Who doesn't like a good competition, and it's for a great organization," she says. "It's definitely a good reason to clean out your closets this Christmas."

Collart encourages everyone to do his or her part. "Alumni and Pepperdine friends can mail shoes to us to be counted," she says. "We’re hoping for a large collection at the rivalry game against Loyola Marymount University on Saturday Jan. 10, because both the men's and women's basketball teams have games that night."

For more information on the Pepperdine Waves' Soles4Souls project or to make a contribution, contact Heather Collart at (310) 506-6483, or visit the Pepperdine Athletics Web site.