March 2, 2011

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -

Soles For Souls Photo Gallery

In conjunction with the 2011 Zappos.com West Coast Conference Basketball Championships in Las Vegas, the WCC and Zappos.com announced today the donation of over 11,740 new and gently used pairs of shoes to international non-profit Soles4Souls.

This is the third year that the WCC teamed up with Zappos.com and Soles4Souls to challenge each West Coast Conference campus to collect the most shoes from December to the end of the conference basketball season. Thanks again to the efforts of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and marketing department on each campus, the WCC set another conference record, beating last year's total of 10,000 pairs of collected shoes.

"I would like to congratulate our eight institutions, their student-athletes, administrators and campus communities for setting yet another conference record," said WCC Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich. "To see the Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive and Kidz Day grow from a one-year experiment to a growing tradition within our conference has been a great way for our schools to showcase their shared dedication to meaningful community outreach."

Loyola Marymount, the three-time winner of the Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive, collected 2,260 pairs of shoes. Portland came close behind with 2,145 pairs, while four of the remaining six WCC institutions were able to gather over 1,300 pairs of shoes. For their efforts, the Loyola Marymount Lions will receive a student-fan group party provided by the WCC and will be recognized at the first round games of the LMU men's and women's basketball teams at the Zappos.com WCC Basketball Championships.

"The Soles4Souls shoe drive is a wonderful example of how our student-athletes, in the very unique West Coast Conference, embrace and practice the missions of our member institutions," said LMU Athletic Director Bill Husak. "LMU is proud to have been the leader in this effort for the past three years to provide footwear to those who cannot afford it."

The 11,740 gently used shoes will be distributed through Soles4Souls to individuals in need worldwide. Zappos.com and the WCC will then continue its service partnership in Las Vegas at the WCC Kidz Day, Powered by Zappos.com event on Monday, March 5. WCC SAAC representatives along with various members of the WCC and Zappos.com will volunteer in the culmination of the Zappos.com WCC Shoe Drive as 1,000 pairs of new shoes, donated by KangaROOS, will be distributed to 1,000 kids from the After-School All-Stars Las Vegas outside the Orleans Arena. The event will take place at 9:00 AM before the women's championship game.

West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference was formed in 1952 and has evolved and grown to become a nationally recognized and competitive force in Division I intercollegiate athletics, with 13 conference-sponsored sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's crew, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball. The WCC is characterized by the stability of its membership - only two conference have been together longer - and its unique emphasis on combining excellence in athletics with excellence in academics.

Zappos.com
Established in 1999, Zappos.com, operated by Zappos Development, has quickly become the leading destination in online clothing, shoes, and boots by striving to provide shoppers with the best possible service and selection. The Zappos Family generates gross merchandise sales exceeding $1 billion annually. Zappos.com showcases millions of products from over 1000 clothing and shoe brands, including Nike and The North Face. Zappos.com, Inc. was recognized in 2009 and 2010 by FORTUNE MAGAZINE as one of the "100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR." More information about the customer service philosophy, unique culture, and job openings can be found at http://about.zappos.com. More information about Zappos Insights, and its business membership program can be found at http://www.zapposinsights.com. Zappos.com is a subsidiary of (AMZN) Amazon.com.

Soles4Souls
Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization based out of Alabama that was created by Wayne Elsey as a response to the 2004 tsunami that hit Southeast Asia. Now, after having coordinated relief efforts for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Soles4Souls has already successfully donated over one million pairs of shoes to those hurting both domestically and internationally.

- GO LIONS -