By Analiz González Buckner International

(DALLAS, Texas) — More than 3,240 shoes were collected in Buckner International’s second annual Sole-d Out Concert on Sept. 27 in the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid. And hundreds more shoes from various drop-off locations have not yet been counted.

Some people attended Sole-d Out to see Jaci Velasquez, The Epic Press, Geoff Moore and pureNRG. Others brought their children to the giant inflatable playground. And some came solely for the shoes.

“The concert brought people together for a common good,” said Rachel Garton, director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. “There are people who are giving a single pair of shoes and there are people bringing in dozens or more. We’re just excited about having everyone join together to help children, and to listen to great music, too!”

Mike Schaetzel volunteered with his two sons sorting shoes during Sole-d Out. He heard about the concert by listening to KVTT 91.7 The Truth. The radio station is a Dallas-based Christian radio station that advertised the event and sponsored Sole-d Out.

This is a good opportunity to get my boys involved where they can see the impact we are making,” Schaetzel said. “We’ve been in a position of need before. I was laid off for a while. And now we’re in a good position to give back.”

Doug Price, General Manager for 91.7 KVTT The Truth said they started recording announcements for the concerts two months before the event.

“We’ve got over 140 drop-off locations and they are bringing in those collections today besides individual donations,” he said during the concert. “Right now we are making announcements about every two songs. That’s how we tell listeners that we are about doing the work of Christ besides just broadcasting all day.”

The children attending the event seemed to focus on two things: the giant inflatable playground and the performing teen band: pureNRG.

“I looked up pureNRG to see where and when they’d been performing,” said Lisa Richie. “I saw that they’d be here today and I’d heard about SOS so I wanted to bring my 10-year-old daughter.”

Richie’s daughter loves to listen to the group and has been looking forward to their performance all day, her mother said.

Jordan, one of the three pureNRG members said they try to be positive role models for the children who look up to them.

“Kids look to us,” he said. “We have to be good and set a standard. It can be hard because we fall short.”

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He added that he was honored to perform at Sole-d out and saw it as an opportunity to encourage children to serve others and give.

Another performer at the concert was Geoff Moore. Moore has sung at a number of Buckner events in the less-than-two years since he first became involved with the organization. He left on his second short-term mission trip with Buckner on the day after the Sole-d Out concert.

“When I first head about Shoes for Orphan Souls, the idea of putting shoes on orphans sounded neat but not very weighty,” Moore said. “I was thinking, ‘What about the important issues?’ But when I went to an orphanage in Honduras and saw about 90 kids and only about five of them with shoes, it made sense to me. Giving shoes allows for a restoration of dignity. And it opens doors to share more things, like faith.

“What I love about Buckner is it is such a complete approach to caring for people,” he added. “They offer opportunities for pregnant moms, they help single moms get through college and they offer hospice care and help the elderly die with dignity. That’s living out the gospel if you ask me.”

For more information on Shoes for Orphan Souls visit www.ShoesforOrphanSouls.org or call 1-866-774-SHOE (7463)