SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- With the help of one of the largest mall owners and operators nationwide, the "Shoes for Orphan Souls" shoe drive will more than triple its efforts this year. Buckner Orphan Care International has teamed once again with Santa Monica, CA-based Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) to provide new shoes and socks to orphans internationally.
With a goal of 100,000 pairs of new shoes in 2001, over 30 of Macerich's malls nationwide will conduct two- to four-week-long shoe drives during the back-to-school shopping period. The majority of Macerich's properties in the Southwest region and targeted properties elsewhere will conduct the shoe drive for a full month while most of those on the East and West coasts will host the drive for two consecutive weekends.
"The support that Macerich Company has provided has been crucial to the program's growth and expansion," said Tiffany Taylor, Buckner's director for Shoes for Orphan Souls. "Macerich continues to 'make good things happen' in the lives of orphan children by allowing us to triple the number of properties that will host the shoe drive this year."
During the back-to-school shopping period, Macerich malls will allow Buckner to ask their shoppers to donate a pair of new shoes for an orphan in need. Collection sites will be placed at each mall throughout the month of August with local volunteers helping to collect, sort and pack the shoes that will later be sent to orphanages around the world.
"The back-to-school shopping period is important to our merchants, and we believe it gives Buckner the ideal platform to achieve their goal of securing new shoes for orphan children," said Susan Valentine, senior vice president/director of marketing for Macerich Company. "We are proud to be a part of the program's continued growth and expansion."
Because of the program's growth, Buckner will provide aid to orphanages in Kenya, Ethiopia, Latvia, Croatia, Ukraine and Belarus in addition to Russia, Romania, China, Mexico and the US.
Last year, Buckner teamed with Macerich during the back-to-school shopping season with ten of its properties participating in the shoe drive. Over 50,000 pairs of shoes, 30,000 pairs of socks, thousands of shoelaces and cash donations were secured during last year's initiative.
Buckner Orphan Care International brings together the expertise and resources of individuals and organizations to offer a world of hope for disadvantaged children in other countries. "Shoes for Orphan Souls" is one of many projects the organization carries out each year. For more information, visit the Shoes for Orphan Souls web site at www.shoesfororphansouls.org.
The Macerich Company owns and manages 46 regional malls and five community centers nationwide and is one of the nation's largest owner/operators of regional malls. Founded in 1965, Macerich is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MAC". For more information, visit the Macerich web site at www.macerich.com.
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SOURCE Macerich Company
CONTACT: Betty Lovell, blovell@lovellpr.com, or Milly Navarro, mnavarro@lovellpr.com, both of Lovell Public Relations, 972-788-4511, for Macerich Company/