Mission | Pride Slides
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OUR MISSION

OUR MISSION

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GIVING
BACK

Pride Slides uses a portion of all net profits to provide socks and shoes for veterans in need. Even the best of us need assistance now and then, and we are humbled by the opportunity to give back what we can to those who have given their blood, sweat, and sometimes everything to provide the freedom and security we enjoy every day as American citizens. Through our Mile in a Soldier's Shoes initiative and annual event of the same name, we work closely with local charities and homeless shelters/transitional housing by providing essential items such as socks and shoes to our country's heroes to get soldiers back on their feet, and we hope to expand our impact nationwide. We are grateful for our customers who help us on this mission with every purchase.

Mile in a Soldier's Shoes is an annual Ruck March hosted by Kappa Sigma's Theta Nu Chapter at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. In partnership with Pride Slides, all proceeds from the event go to providing shoes and socks for veterans and their families. Socks are the number one most requested item in homeless shelters, and everyone deserves a comfortable and reliable pair of shoes.

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Our military heroes put it all on the line and push their bodies, minds, and spirits to the limit each day in service to their country. Soldiers are subjected to harsh conditions, routinely marching miles on end in uncomfortable combat boots, carrying rucksacks weighing upwards of 80 pounds. Each step a soldier takes can be challenging and brutal. The participants of Mile in a Soldier's Shoes spend one day in observance of these conditions to understand what it is like to be a soldier for a day by throwing on a ruck weighing 40 pounds (just half of what our heroes may have on their backs) and securing sponsorships from the community to contribute a donation per mile for the participant of their choice. Fixed-amount donations are also accepted and encouraged. Participants then march/walk/run as long and far as they can to raise money to provide comfortable shoes for veterans. They sacrificed their comfort in combat boots for our freedom, so we in turn spend a day in discomfort to provide a comfortable pair of shoes to help get them back on their feet after serving our country. Mile in a Soldier's Shoes takes place at Ashland University each Spring but may spread to other areas as well. The event is open to the community. If you would like to sponsor a participant or participate yourself, please reach out to the chapter directly. Thank you for your support!

THE EVENT

THE
FOUNDER

Mile in a Soldier's Shoes was created by Brien Conrad in 2014 as a philanthropy event for his college fraternity that has been running for over a decade to raise funds and benefit the lives of veterans and their families. Since then, it has become the premier event for his chapter and has grown with its partnership with Pride Slides to provide quality tangible goods to those who need them most. From classmates, to roommates, to Founding Fathers of Kappa Sigma's Theta Nu Chapter at Ashland University, to groomsmen, to beer pong partners at charity events, Brien and our founder Zack Weilnau have worked together for a long time, always striving to make things better than how they found it. Brien's selflessness and respect for our veterans is truly inspirational and his entrepreneurial spirit is responsible for the existence and impact of Pride Slides today. We are excited to continue the growth of Mile in a Soldier's Shoes and to keep expanding our impact for our country's honored veterans.

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