Aly Raisman is releasing her own signature sneaker to help combat homelessness
For every pair purchased, Heading Home will donate a pair to someone in need.
Six-time Olympic medalist Aly Raisman has teamed up with Boston-based shoe company York Athletics Mfg. yet again to launch her very own-signature slip-on sneaker.
“The Gail by Aly Raisman” is available now ($135) in a sleek mint-green color way, and features the motto “Worth the Fight” stitched onto the tongue. The shoes, named after the company’s Gail York, were “originally designed with Tokyo’s cityscape in mind” in honor of the 2020 Olympics, which has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19.
For every pair purchased in October, Raisman and York will partner with Heading Home, a local homeless housing agency in the city, to donate a pair to a person experiencing homelessness. Raisman has worked with Heading Home before. In July of 2017, she promoted mattress company Leesa and helped donate dozens of mattresses to Heading Home.
Raisman expressed how important it is to help those in need, specifically the homeless.
“I think it goes without saying how absolutely heartbreaking it is that there are so many people out there, I think far more than people realize—that don’t have a home and don’t have a safe place to go,” Raisman said according to Boston Magazine. “[It] continues to be important to me to educate myself and figure out different ways to give back and to also inspire other people to do the same.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFM6Oikln8V/
With a potential second wave of COVID-19 set to hit Boston, the homeless population is just one of the vulnerable groups city officials are worried about. During the height of the pandemic, a third of the homeless population was infected with COVID-19.
“I think that right now this world really needs people to step up and to help others who are less fortunate,” Raisman continued. “[I’m] learning as much as I can so I can understand how best to help other people and how to make a difference.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFpVyaZnlZT/?utm_source=ig_embed
Get Boston.com's browser alerts:
Enable breaking news notifications straight to your internet browser.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com