The first annual ‘Janeen Mansour Celebrity Shoe Drive’ raised enough shoes to benefit families of The Salvation Army of Southern California, a US-based charitable institution.

The event, which was recently held at the Rancho Park Golf Course in Los Angeles, was attended by popular Hollywood stars, with over 600 personalities participating at the ‘Celebrity Charity Shoe Throwing Competition’ and donating over 1000 pairs of shoes for needy families.

Three winners each received the ‘Golden Shoe Award’ for throwing their shoes with the farthest distance in the children’s, ladies’ and men’s categories. President George Bush and Lara Bush are great supporters of the Salvation Army and they will be making shoe donations in support of Mansour’s aims for the show drive.

Janeen Mansour, TV anchor and celebrity presenter of Dubai.TV, revealed that the shoe throwing competition was also enjoyed by families who participated alongside the celebrity participants who competed within the fun-filled activities.

Hollywood A - Lister Melanie Griffith and famed designer Christian Audigier donated several pairs of shoes, with the latter donating new unused pairs of Ed Hardy shoes.

Among the celebrities who attended the event were Kim Kardashian of the reality TV show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’, Ziad Batal, executive producer of ‘Hydra Executives’, a new reality program set in Abu Dhabi, and Steve Allen, executive director of The Salvation Army of Southern California.

“No other non-profit organisation has the range of social services to help the disadvantaged like The Salvation Army,” said Mansour.

“They provide homeless shelters, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, services for at-risk youth, summer camp for underprivileged children, day care, elderly care, after school programs for inner city kids, transitional and permanent housing for those afflicted with HIV/AIDS, among other charitable works.”

'The donated shoes will go a long way in helping rebuild the lives of those in need, one step at a time,' said said Major Victor A Leslie, divisional commander, The Salvation Army Southern, California Division.

“The considerable donations we have seen in this event is also my inspiration for planning a similar event to be staged in Dubai this year and again in Los Angeles in July,” concluded Mansour.-TradeArabia News Service