Elkton, MD (July 1, 2008) - Staying comfortable and protected from the elements is what GORE-TEX® and WINDSTOPPER® products are created to do. This year, while outdoor enthusiasts are invited to discover what makes GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER products so unique, the "Know What's Inside" Tour is collecting footwear for Soles4Souls™ to ensure people worldwide have the most basic protection--a pair of shoes.
Dedicated to outdoor protection, the GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER "Know What's Inside" Tour announces it has teamed up with Soles4Souls to ensure people around the world are protected against the elements. Soles4Souls is an international charity dedicated to donating footwear to those desperately in need in the U.S. and worldwide. Currently, Soles4Souls collects 30,000 pairs of shoes a week, which means someone in need receives a pair of shoes every 28 seconds. More than 3 million pairs of shoes have been distributed to people in over 60 countries on 5 continents. Consumers are encouraged to clean out their closets of both new and gently worn shoes to donate to the "Know What’s Inside" Tour. With nearly 1.5 billion pairs of shoes sitting idle in American closets, the "Know What's Inside" Tour is set out to collect thousands of pairs of shoes; enough to fill the 6' x 8' x 10' GORE Extreme Weather Chamber. Shoes will be collected at numerous local events throughout the year.
Now in its third year, the "Know What's Inside" tour invites visitors to step inside and personally test the GORE-TEX® Guaranteed To Keep You Dry® promise by dialing up their own weather in the Extreme Weather Chamber. Participants can create a wide range of weather conditions including rainfall up to 22 inches per hour, whipping winds up to speeds of 32 miles per hour, bolts of thunder and strobes of lightening to simulate the actual look and feel of a storm. Visitors can experience first-hand the technology behind GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER products. This year's tour will make more than 40 stops during its eight-month long cross-country adventure. The "Know What's Inside" Tour will be featured at outdoor events, festivals, athletic events and local participating retail locations.
To find out when and where the "Know What's Inside" Tour will be making a stop in your city log onto gore-tex.com or call 1.800.GORE-TEX.
Perhaps best known for its consumer products like GORE-TEX fabric and ELIXIR® guitar strings, Gore is a leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products for the electronics, industrial, fabrics and medical markets. The company is headquartered in Newark, Delaware, and employs approximately 8000 associates in 45 facilities throughout the world. For more information about W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. and Gore products, call 1-800-431-GORE or visit www.gore-tex.com.
Soles4Souls™ facilitates the donations of shoes, which will be used to aid the hurting worldwide. The organization has distributed more than 3 million pairs of shoes since January 2005 (or one pair of shoes every 28 seconds). Shoe companies, retailers and individuals can donate both new and “gently worn” footwear. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. For more information about Soles4Souls, please call (866) 521-SHOE, or visit www.giveshoes.org or www.soles4souls.org.
Cynthia Amon
W.L. Gore & Associates
camon@wlgore.com
443-553-0333
GORE, GORE-TEX, ELIXIR, and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
©2008 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., 295 Blue Ball Rd., Elkton, Maryland, 800-431-GORE, gore-tex.com.