Fleet Feet hosts Art and Sole Charity event: turns old running soles into art work to benefit the Rape Crisis Center

What do you do with your old pair of running shoes that have seen better days? Why not donate them to be recycled as artwork to raise money for the Rape Crisis Center in Savannah? That is exactly what took place this August as 25 running shoe soles were rescued, painted white and mounted on 1 by 6 boards to be purchased for $10 apiece, painted and returned to the Fleet Feet store where they got their start to be sold at auction to benefit the local Rape Crisis Center.

Artists ranged from an autistic youth who created a spin wheel masterpiece to young children who each dipped a finger into paint and placed a dot on a shoe sole to create an exceptionally unique piece of artwork. Many adults also dipped their paint brushes into the talent pool and did their best to create a work of art they hope got at least one bid and found a new home where it would be appreciated.

There were lots of shoes covered in glitter and glamorous images, but most were of local themes like palm tress, sailboats, fish and birds. A few bidding wars took place on unique shoes and a few very talented artists made those with less talent a bit wistful that what they envisioned in their heads did not turn out quite as well when painted on a knobby unyielding sole that sucked paint into grooves and made keeping straight lines a near impossibility.

Still, no matter what the level of talent or difficulty, everyone had fun raising money for a good cause and getting together with friends on a full-moon Thursday with free food and alcohol and a festive atmosphere despite the serious subject.

There were a lot of laughs and some very generous donors who paid a small fortune to own a piece of art by local artists who put their souls into their work and were happy to be part of such a great event.

It has always been said that the mark of a great volunteer opportunity is that the participants who put in the most work, are the most grateful that they were allowed to volunteer! That is how every sole painter felt as they watched their precious artwork being auctioned, hoping someone would find it worthy of a new home.

The bidding on the finished soles started at $15 and all sold for at least $20 or more with some going well past $100 with bidding wars on a few.

It was a fun event that raised at least a $1000 in one night with many donations being made outside of the auction and raffle tickets being sold for $10 for a generous arm's length, almost guaranteeing everyone would win something including three brand new pair of runnning shoes from Nike, Saucony and Adidas!

It was such a fun event that almost everyone requested there be another one, perhaps with even a pre-auction painting party where those who struggled to decorate their shoes hoped to use the new ideas they learned to create an even better sole art down the road and raise even more money for charity.