Bid now on Zach Parise's skates!

Zach Parise's game-worn skates are up for auction and the proceeds will help relief efforts in Japan.

Soles4Souls®, the international shoe charity, has announced a complete line-up of a-list celebrities who decided to take off their shoes for a good cause. Parise, the Devils' All-Star left wing, is among a roster that includes fellow NHLers Alex Ovechkin, Zdeno Chara, Ryan Getzlaf, and Chris Pronger.

What began as a staff shoe drive internally at NBCUniversal 30 Rock studios for the charity’s Japan relief efforts quickly caught on to stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Sir Elton John, the Kardashian sisters, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, John Krasinski, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mariska Hargitay, Yoko Ono, the TODAY show cast, and many more. Jennifer Wilson, an NBCUniversal employee who helped initiate the celebrity shoe auction, said it was the kindness of organizations like Soles4Souls during Hurricane Katrina that drew her to help.

The celebrity shoe auction that will benefit Soles4Souls will include game shoes from Lamar Odom, The SNL Cast, Spike Lee, and signed game cleats from Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Joe Girardi, and Robinson Cano, will launch in coordination with Soles4Souls’ 4th annual National Barefoot Week on the charity auction site CharityBuzz.com, beginning June 1st and extending until June 22nd.  

“We are so excited about our 4th year of hosting  Barefoot Week and are honored by our friends at NBCUniversal and Jennifer Wilson who have really put their sole into this auction and this year’s festivities,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We encourage the country to follow the lead of these celebrities and take their shoes off for the week to help the world see that there is an incredible global need for footwear.”

Other celebrities that kicked off their soles for the auction include Brooke Burke, Paris Hilton, Matthew Morrison, Chelsea Handler, Tom Brokaw, Joan and Melissa Rivers, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Nick Harper, Maria Menounos, Billy Bush, Kenny Rogers, Bill Engvall, Maria Sharapova, Ricky Gervais, Karl Pilkington, Stephen Merchant, Jason Bateman, Guiliana Rancic, Ryan Seacrest, Chace Crawford, Brian Williams, the cast of Law and Order, Jimmy Fallon, Quest Love of “The Roots,” Lance Bass, NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordan, Tony Stewart, and Mark Martin, Jillian Michaels, Camille Grammar, Margaret Cho, Alison Sweeney, Curt Schilling, Phil Mickelson, Wayne Gretzky, Jennie Finch, Stacey Dash, and Jonah Hill.

For more information on the auction and how to bid, or to find out how you can get involved in Soles4Souls 2011 National Barefoot Week, visit www.giveshoes.org. 

About Soles4Souls®, Clothes4Souls®, and Hope4Souls™
Soles4Souls collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-enterprise efforts to eradicate poverty.  Soles4Souls’ other two divisions, Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls, provide the same relief and support through clothing and other necessities. Donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.