Donate Shoes for Japan's Victims

has joined the non-profit Soles4Souls to donate slightly used footwear to victims of Japan's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami.

Starting Friday, customers may drop off barely used shoes at any of Sport Chalet's 55 stores, said David Hacker, director of marketing for La Cañada-based Sports Chalet. All donations will directly support relief efforts. The collection runs until April 10th.

"It's the least we can do, and really, we're just a conduit for the goodwill of our customers,'' Hacker said.

He asks customers to please duct tape or somehow tie the pairs together, to facilitate getting the shoes to the people who need them. And if folks have more than 500 pairs to donate - and that happened when the store collected shoes for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake - please call 818-359-3295 for drop-off information.

Sports Chalet helped collect 1.3 million shoes during the Haiti aftermath, Hacker said, noting he is not putting a goal on this collection because "Every pair is one more than we had the day before.''

In other relief efforts around town, people are encouraged to donate to with checks made payable to the church and noted as "disaster assistance,'' said Camille Tucker, director of communications for the church. The donations will be split between the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program and the Red Cross.

You may drop off contributions Monday through Friday, 8 am – 5 pm. at the church, 626 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada, CA 91011. Monies collected during three services last Sunday were also going toward the relief effort.