MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis entrepreneur is putting his best foot forward to fight hunger.
Edward Bogard is using his unique talent of designing shoes to help feed people in the Mid-South. In fact, he’s designed a limited-edition shoe that’s already provided thousands of meals through the Mid-South Food Bank.
“I just always wanted to design cool shoes and I got lucky, it was a blessing. I was able to give back through my gift of design,” Bogard, founder of SOGIV, said.
Bogard is taking his passion for designing shoes and turning it into thousands of meals, all through his local non-profit.
“The name is derived from every pair sold, we give. Taking the SO out of sold and GIV out of give. And through it, we raise awareness towards worthy causes such as the Mid-South Food Bank,” Bogard said.
Bogard designed a limited-edition shoe especially for his fundraising partnership with the Mid-South Food Bank.
Each time someone buys a pair for $50, that money goes to the Mid-South Food Bank where it’s stretched to meet a growing need.
“Every one dollar donated to the food bank is equal to three meals. And so when you have a $50 shoe purchased, that’s 150 meals for one person or a family who is struggling everyday to get enough to eat,” Andrew Bell, the marketing manager at the Mid-South Food Bank, said.
To date, sales of Bogard’s “food bank shoe” have provided more than 7,500 nutritious meals.
He has donated some of his other styles of shoes to students at two adopted schools, Hanley Elementary and Cherokee Elementary.
Bogard, who started designing shoes in elementary school, admits this is a very unique way to raise hunger awareness and he plans to open a store in Memphis soon to sell his shoes and continue giving back to the community.
“Where people can actually come in and purchase all of our shoe designs. And go home happy, because they would have made a difference in someone’s life,” he said.
Bogard’s limited-edition shoes are on sale at Food Bank at 239 South Dudley Street South of Union Avenue. You can order off Edward Bogard’s website at www.SOGIV.org.