Two months ago, my coworker, friend and fellow blogger iNeed a Playdate decided to participate in the Flippin’ Good Deeds Challenge.

Through a partnership with flipflop wines, Soles4Souls posted an open invitation to bloggers to reach out to their online and local communities and collect shoes.  

Every pair of donated shoes helps further Soles4Souls’ mission of providing footwear to individuals in impoverished areas so that they can live healthy, productive lives.

Well, the journey ended yesterday and I’m really excited to announce that with your help, we were named as one of the finalists!

Want to learn how many pairs helped us reach the Finalists Board? Check out iNeed a Playdate’s blog today for the final tally!

We were both floored by the response, which would have been impossible without the help of a lot of people so I wanted to send a few shout-outs of thanks:

First, a huge thank you to PR Newswire‘s Cleveland office where iNeed a Playdate and I work.  Our co-workers opened their closets and donated bags of shoes to the cause! I consider myself lucky to belong to an office culture that’s often willing to support its co-workers and give back to the community.

The same goes for the Penton Media Building in downtown Cleveland, where our office is located.  They very graciously allowed us to set up a drop-off location in the downstairs lobby.  If you dropped off shoes there, thank you so much!

Thank you to Mullens on Madison for letting us hang out on a Saturday night and collect shoes at our #FlippinGoodDeeds Party! In addition to offering beer specials, owner Mike Mercer even contributed a bag of shoes to the drive. 

If you love skeeball like me but don’t want to go to an arcade, this laidback bar on Madison Ave. has it.  With very inexpensive drinks, you’ll have more money to play – so pay them a visit some time.

Guests at the #FlippinGoodDeeds Party also were entered into a giftbasket raffle. Thanks to Heather Adams, Scentsy Independent Consultant and The Cuyahoga Group for donating items to accompany our flipflop wine and Sears Gift Card.

iNeed a Playdate and My Got Fam at Mullens (and Scott playing the megatouch machine in the background)

Much like my Twestival experience earlier in the year, the Flippin’ Good Deeds Challenge reinforced how social media is not just a tool for work or fun, but can also be used to bring about social good.

And an added bonus? I got to become closer to iNeed a Playdate! So the biggest thanks goes out to her for telling me about the Challenge and inviting me  to partner with her.

As I mentioned when I first started this, I learned how important it is to have the right shoes when I was training for the Run for the Pierogies. So the fact that we collected any shoes at all makes me really happy. 

Even if we had collected 10 pairs, that still would have helped 10 different people — some of them being children who are required to wear shoes just to attend school. So thanks to everyone for your help in helping many many more!

flipflop wines 411:

• “flipflop – to each, their own”
• @flipflopwines
• Like flipflop wines on Facebook

Soles4Souls 411:

• Soles4Souls Mission
• @Soles4Souls
• GivesShoes on Facebook

Photo from Yelp.com

Since starting the Flippin’ Good Deeds Challenge last month, iNeedaPlaydate and I have been grateful for all of the shoes donated so far.

Now, we’re giving you another way to drop off your shoes:

Join us on November 5th at Mullen’s on Madison for
the Flippin’ Good Deeds Last Chance Party!

It will be a laidback night at this Lakewood neighborhood bar where you can drop off your shoes, enjoy $2 house wine and domestic drafts, and hang out with iNeedaPlaydate and me.

• What: Flippin’ Good Deeds Last Chance Party
• When: November 5, 7-10pm
• Where: Mullen’s on Madison, 17014 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio

To RSVP you can leave a comment on this post or RSVP on Facebook.

We are also accepting items to be raffled off during the party.  You will not only receive recognition the night of the party but also the weeks leading up to the party. Email clueintocleveland (at) gmail (dot) com if you have any gift cards, tickets or other items to donate.

Of course, if you can’t make it on Nov. 5th, but would still like to donate shoes, you can:

• Drop off your donation in the box located in the Penton Media Building’s lobby, 1300 East 9th St., Downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
• Download the Blogger Donation Form and ship off your shoes to a Soles4Souls warehouse.  Don’t forget to include our blogger ID #024.

Remember, your shoe donations are tax deductible and Soles4Souls will accept any type of shoes (even if there are holes in the soles)! Check out this post for more details and FAQs.

Our shoe drive ends November 9th so you only have a few more weeks to donate.

Thanks to iNeedaPlaydate and Mullen’s on Madison for setting up the party. We hope to see you on November 5th!

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Have you entered the Clue Into Cleveland giveaway for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Bamboo Grove Party? Today’s your last chance!