Sneaker Clean NZ has been helping youngsters around South Auckland by cleaning donated shoes and distributing them to the community. Photo / Supplied
Sneaker Clean NZ has been helping youngsters around South Auckland by cleaning donated shoes and distributing them to the community. Photo / Supplied
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Youngsters around South Auckland are set to benefit from the country's first sneaker donation event kicking off this weekend.
Outsole is a free event launched by Sneaker Clean NZ Ltd - a shoe-cleaning service that funds a charity trust knownas Clean For A Cause - and which has been helping the local community affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Owner of Sneaker Clean NZ and organiser, Christian Prescott, said the company started the Trust during lockdown last year in order to give back to the South Auckland community.
"The idea started by being written on our whiteboard in October 2021. Then 12 weeks from there, we received a great response and were able to clean, package and donate 500 pairs of shoes to our young rangatahi in need."
Prescott and his company have shortlists of names and shoe sizes of students from several South Auckland neighbourhoods who could be positively touched by this cause.
They have received over 1000 names - which makes a community gathering like this even more necessary, he said.
Sneaker Clean NZ has been helping youngsters around South Auckland by cleaning donated shoes and distributing them to the community. Photo / Supplied
Prescott and his team package each newly cleaned shoe in a customised box before donating them. He said he understood the importance of this particular detail.
"The story behind putting the shoes in the box is because some of our kids don't really get their own sneakers provided for them.
"They miss out on that feeling that we all know and love of opening up a new pair of shoes," he said.
"There will be paper in the shoes and paper around (them) when they open them. We will do all of that for them."
By the community, for the community
They will host a four-hour event where members of the public can donate sneakers in any condition to be properly cleaned, wrapped and placed in a customised box.
All of the donated pairs of shoes will be handed to children in South Auckland who are in need of shoes.
They will collaborate with Mana Pasifika, which assists Pacific communities in Aotearoa during and after Covid-19 lockdowns.
Sneaker Clean NZ cleans donated shoes back to top quality before gifting them to youngsters around South Auckland. Photo / Supplied
For the past eight months, Clean For A Cause has been accepting donated shoes at their shop. However, tomorrow's gig will be their first major event.
At Outsole, you will not only be able to see the products and disciplines it takes to clean shoes. But sneaker heads will also be able to sell, trade and buy other sneakers on display.
"It's a way for us to promote not only the charity, but also unite the community through sneakers," Prescott said.
"You will be able to see my staff clean shoes live, there will be sneaker and vintage clothes stores, food trucks, barbershop workshops and a DJ who will be playing the whole time.
Tomorrow's event and the Trust involved are self-funded through Sneaker Clean NZ Ltd.
Prescott is hoping the event will allow them to get the right people involved and to gain private or public funding to assist youngsters in this way.
"On the day, it'll be cool to see a big turn-out to support our young rangatahi and whānau who need sneakers. I am excited to be uniting the community by getting behind such an awesome cause."
Outsole runs tomorrow from 10am to 2pm at the Vodafone Events Centre's BNZ Theatre on Great South R, Wiri, in Manukau and all proceeds will go to Clean For A Cause Trust.
