Saul's marks 70 years in downtown Gainesville

GAINESVILLE - Saul's is marking 70 years in downtown Gainesville by inviting you to recycle your "gently worn" shores for people in need.

"In our 70th year in business, we at Saul's are grateful for the loyalty and patronage the people of Gainesville, Hall County, and northeast Georgia have shown us," said Lorry Schrage, the owner and son of the founders, Bill and Gussie Schrage. "As a family owned business we have consistently given back to the community in various ways because we feel that it is important to support those less fortunate in our community."

Schrage added that "In this tradition, we are once again offering a discount to customers who bring in 'gently used' shoes to donate to Soles4Souls, a nonprofit organization that distributes shoes to those in need worldwide."

Saul's, a department store located at 100 Main Street, is collecting the shoes starting Friday and continuing through the end of the month and is offering a twenty percent discount on new shoes to those who donate.

Every 13 seconds, Soles4Souls, Inc. gives away another pair of shoes to someone in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

"We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time," founder Wayne Elsey said. "It's one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone's life in the most difficult of times."

People and companies interested in donating can visit the Soles4Souls website at www.giveshoes.org, and follow the instructions.