PJ Tampa Bay Story Winner of the Week

Here is the winner of this weeks story contest for PJ Tampa Bay:

From: Robyn Huber

TAMPA, FL – The 1Voice Foundation, a non-profit charity dedicated to supporting children with cancer and their families, is working with the Hillsborough County School District to open the 1Voice Academy, the first school in the United State for children with cancer.

The Foundation is kicking off its $5 million capital funding campaign with an open house at the Home Theater Gallery, 3300 S. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, on Thursday, March 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Children on treatment who miss school fall behind academically and resent their disease and the alienation it causes even more,” said Mary Ann Massolio, the Executive Director of 1Voice Foundation whose own son passed away from cancer. “Plus, many parents have to miss work to stay home with them. This can lead to financial devastation and add to the 80% divorce rate that parents of chronically-ill children face. The 1Voice Academy will provide children with a safe learning environment while their immune systems are compromised, such as in the 7 to 10 days following chemotherapy.”

“I always have to be vigilant about whether there is a flu or strep going around school,” said Natalie Willis, whose daughter, Mandy, was diagnosed with cancer when she was 7. “Mandy had to miss a lot of days even though she felt well, but she couldn’t risk coming into contact with a sick child. The truth is some parents send their kids to school even with a low fever or other signs of infection.”

“One of the greatest challenges we faced with Daniel were his counts were horrible, but otherwise he felt good,” said Holly Wade, whose 9-year-old son passed away from cancer. “My choice was to have him homebound, and he missed being around people his own age and his own friends. With this Academy, kids can be around classmates who aren’t going to look at you funny because you’re bald, or because you have to get up and throw up, or have an IV bag hanging off of you or a shunt. It’s an opportunity to make these kids feel as normal as possible in the most abnormal conditions you can imagine.”

Holly and her husband, Capt. Bill Wade with Tampa Fire Rescue, will be among the families on hand at the open house.

In addition to offering classes, the 1Voice Academy will offer after-school programs for tutoring, art and music, and will provide support groups and programs for parents and siblings.

About 1Voice Foundation 
The 1Voice Foundation began in 2008 when six members of the Tampa Bay community – each having prior experience with pediatric cancer programs – realized organizations focused on research and organizations focused on assisting families were competing for dollars instead of working together. The 1Voice Foundation’s Executive Director is MaryAnn Massolio, who was the executive director of the Children’s Cancer Center for 10 years and who knows firsthand what it’s like when your child is diagnosed with cancer. In addition to researching cures for cancer, The 1Voice Foundation provides resources and support groups for patients and their families, outings for children with cancer, scholarships, and funeral assistance. The non-profit organization currently does not receive any state or federal funding and is dependent on corporate and private donations.

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Coach Joe Gibbs Presents the “Game Plan for Life” in Tampa

Tampa, FL February 2, 2011 – Now celebrating its 40th year, the Tampa Bay Leadership Prayer Breakfast again welcomes 3 time Super Bowl Champion and 3 time NASCAR Champion - Coach Joe Gibbs who will talk about his “Game Plan for Life.” This year’s breakfast event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at the Tampa Convention Center where #11 FedEx NASCAR Gibbs Racing Team Showcar will be on display. Doors open at 6:30 a.m. for the breakfast buffet with the program beginning at 7:00 a.m. and finishing at 8:15 a.m.

The Game Plan for Life is a fail proof, long-term approach that will change you from the inside and impact every area of your life—from relationships to finances to your view of what winning really means. You’ll find true success, relevance and lasting peace if you follow it.

Attendance this year is expected to reach 1200 and tickets will be going fast. Prominent business, political, government, and military leaders will be in attendance. Sponsored by the Tampa chapter of CBMC, a national organization focused on discipleship and leadership, the event draws many men and women.

Individual tickets are $30 and tables of ten are $310 available for purchase on line (with additional transaction fee) at www.tampabaybreakfast.com. Corporate sponsorships are available, and this year, the organizing committee is looking for those who can serve as Assistant Coaches by hosting each table at the event.

By: Tom Behrens

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March Teacher Month

Here's an interesting event for Tampa Bay for the month of March:

• 
  
• March 01, 2011 - March 31, 2011
• Address: 5145 Harvey Tew Rd., Plant City, FL 33565
• Times: 9am to 5pm
• Admission: free teachers
• Contact: Nicole Randall
• Phone: 813-717-9865
• Email: dinosaurworld@scrtc.com

Free teacher with a guest every day in March to Dinosaur World. Valid teacher ID required.

 

 

Click here to visit their website

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BALLROOM DANCERS GO TOE-TO-TOE IN TAMPA BAY DANCE-OFF

TAMPA, FL - Ballroom and Latin dancers from around the country are gathering for the 10th Annual Florida Superstars Dancesport Championships, being held in Tampa next week.  

Wearing their most enchanting outfits, dancers hope to dazzle the judges as they compete for $85,000 in cash and prizes at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Tampa, where the ballroom will be decked out in a Venetian Masquerade theme.

"This is an exciting and glamorous spectator sport where cheering for your favorite couples is all part of the fun," said Michael Chapman, event organizer.  "You'll see amazing dancers of every age and skill level, from talented professionals and youths to dedicated students dancing with their teachers, just like on Dancing with the Stars.  See them perform the Cha Cha, Rumba, Waltz, Quickstep, Jive and more. The competition runs morning to night, so you can come for a session or stay for the entire day."

 

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Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour

For all of you Lady Gaga fans out there, here's your chance to see here in concert in Tampa:

When:

 

 

April 16 : 8 p.m.

On Sale Date:

 

October 2, 2010

Price:

 

$64.65 - $193.80

Event Phone Number:

 

813-301-2500

St. Pete Times Forum

401 Channelside Drive

 

Tampa, FL 33602

813-301-2500

See this hot, controversial, meat-wearing pop sensation live at the Forum on April 16, 2011 at 8 p.m. 

Lady Gaga has captivated audiences around the globe with her stunning international smash, The Monster Ball tour, presented by Virgin Mobile.  In 2010 the tour has taken her throughout Europe and North American, where she received rave reviews everywhere she stopped.  With the majority of North American dates already sold out, Lady Gaga has announced she will be extending her North American 2011 tour, now including a stop at Tampa's St. Pete Times Forum on Saturday, April 16. The 2011 North American Monster Ball Tour, produced globally by Live Nation and presented by Virgin Mobile, will begin on February 19th, 2011 at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, taking her spectacular show to top arenas and a host of new cities. 

 

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Valentine's Day Events

Here's a great website to see what you and your love one can do for Valentine's Day in Tampa:

 

All the best cupid-inspired events for you lovebirds out there this Valentine's Day

Ah, it's that time of year again - drugstore aisles are exploding with red confetti and singing teddy bears to let you know it's time to pay a little extra attention to your sweetie this Valentine's Day.  Fear not, young lovers, you don't have to rely soley on cheesy gifts to show your heart's desire that you care. We've searched out the best romantic dinners, heart-filled events and just plain fun couple activities to make sure you're feeling the love this Valentine's Day!

 

Click here to go to the website to see the events.

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Florida State Fair (2011)

When:

 

Daily (ends February 21) 

On Sale Date:

 

December 22, 2010

Price:

 

$5-$12 General Admission

Event Phone Number:

 

813-621-7821

http://www.floridastatefair.com

Florida State Fairgrounds

4800 U.S. Highway 301

 

Tampa, FL 33604

813-621-7821

Tickets are on sale now for Florida's biggest event. The Florida State Fair is being held Feb.10-21 at the State Fairgrounds. This year's event features many of the attractions you've come to love and expect. There will be amusement rides galore, ongoing indoor and outdoor entertainment, food and merchant vendors and state competitions.

Don't miss the shows and attractions at the Entertainment Hall or outdoor events such asCircus Hollywood and Willy Washboard’s Jamboree. Magic shows take place on the Children’s Stage. Catch the outdoor rodeo before hopping on the giant slide. This year’s fair boasts of 106 rides ranging from ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, bumper cars, tilt-a-whirls and roller coasters.

In addition, for more than 100 years, the Florida State Fair has hosted competitions in a variety of areas. This year is no exception. People will be coming from all over the state to showcase their arts, crafts, produce and livestock. Competitions include baking, knitting, painting, horticulture, woodcarving and dance competitions.

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Story Winner of the Week

The winner of this weeks story is:

 

Sean O’Cuinneagain

 

 

The idea came to them over a glass of wine.

 

 

 

A small device that would aerate red wine quickly without making a mess.

 

Sean O’Cuinneagain, owner of WineMall, an online wine retailer, had been pondering the idea for a while. But on this day while he and friend Andy Broden sipped a glass of Malbec, O’Cuinneagain sketched it out on a paper napkin.

The first version of the Vin-Aire wine aerator was born.

“We felt this was something we were passionate about,” O’Cuinneagain said. “Something we could all go in the same direction about.”

Broden, a Westchase resident and wine broker, had been selling O’Cuinneagain wine for years making him the best “partner in wine” for the venture.

“Andy had the contacts and he saw the vision,” O’Cuinneagain said.

That first sketch was about two years ago. These days, O’Cuinneagain and Broden, are steadily building up a Vin-Aire following.

Vin-Aire is primarily Internet based, but the company is in talks to sell the aerators ($29.99 each at www.vin-aire.com) in a retail setting. And former Tampa Bay Lightning hockey player Zenon Konopka, a stakeholder in the business, is using the aerator to raise money for the New York Islanders’ Children’s Foundation.

Konopka was traded to the Islanders last year. For the next month, a portion of all Vin-Aire sales will go to the foundation.

“After two years we’re so excited,” said O’Cuinneagain, a Lutz resident. “The great thing about it is it’s not just for wine connoisseurs. It’s for regular people who enjoy wine.”

On a recent day, O’Cuinneagain and his staff demonstrated how the product works. You simply place the clear Vin-Aire device over your wine glass and slowly pour the wine through the device. A “hsssss” sound can be heard as the wine aerates through the device.

It takes about 10 seconds as opposed to the hour or so it takes for red wine to aerate naturally.

By exposing wine to air, or “letting it breathe,” the wine heats up slightly allowing the aroma and ingredients to release. The result is generally a more mellow, better tasting glass of wine.

The idea is to make an $8 bottle of wine taste like a $30 bottle. The Vin-Aire isn’t the only wine aerator on the market. However, the lower price and ease of use make it a better product than its competitor, O’Cuinneagain said.

Fred Moses, a Westchase resident, was one of the first to purchase the Vin-Aire.

“When you get home from work and you want to have a glass of wine, you don’t want to have to pour it and stare at the glass for hours,” said Moses, a commercial banker.

“Your red wine taste completely different after using it,” he said. “It’s a good product.”

Sales for the Vin-Aire are steady, he says. In 2011, the company will market the product to wine stores, restaurants and bars. The European market is in their sights as well.

From a simple sketch to an intentional sensation—that is the hope.

“A lot of people have ideas but not a lot of people do them,” Broden said. “We decided to seize this opportunity."

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Time with family, team is precious for Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher

Here's a recent article from our Tampa Bay Lightnings:

Martin Raymond said he always knew what time it was and he didn't even have to look at a clock. All he had to hear was the knock on his door. Raymond, an assistant coach last year for AHL Hamilton, was renting a basement apartment from his boss and longtime friend, then-Hamilton coach Guy Boucher. "At 11:30 p.m. there always would be someone knocking on my door wanting to talk about the power play, the penalty kill, whatever it was," Raymond said this week. "He'd put the kids to bed and then come knocking at my door." Raymond, now a Lightning assistant, is not as accessible this season, seeing as he has his own place, so Boucher, Tampa Bay's first-year coach, works alone, watching video, pouring over scouting reports and copious notes, sometimes until 4 a.m. It does not matter if he is home or the team is on the road.

"My biggest worry is that I miss something, an edge somebody sees that I don't see," said Boucher, 39, in his first NHL season and the league's youngest bench boss. "I'm possessed by the idea I have to find an edge."

 

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2011 Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest

The Pirates are COMING to Tampa:

On January 29th, 2011, the Gasparilla Pirates will be invading Tampa, bringing treasures and festivities. On the Saturday before there will be this event for kids and families. 

 

Click here to get more info.

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Tampa Bay Lightning's Stamkos, St. Louis named to NHL All-Star Game

Here's some news about our Tampa Bay Lightnings:

Times staff 
Posted: Jan 11, 2011 12:11 PM

Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos and right wing Marty St. Louis have been named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game.

For St. Louis, it will be his franchise-record sixth appearance in the game, and his sixth straight appearance. He was also selected as a starter in 2003-04.

St. Louis has posted 18 goals, 53 points, two power play goals and five game-winners. He ranks second in the NHL in assists, road assists with 21, power-play assists with 21, and tied for second for home assists with 29.

Stamkos, who represented the Lightning in the 2008-09 NHL YoungStars Game, will be making his first career all-star appearance in Raleigh.

Stamkos has posted 31 goals, 13 power-play goals, six game-winning goals and 57 points in 43 games this season.

He ranks second in the NHL for goals and points and is tied for the league lead for game-winning goals.

The All-Stars will play in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 30 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

 

Click here to learn more.

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Endless Fondue at The Melting Pot

Do you like fondues? For this whole month of January 2011, The Melting Pot (in Tampa) is giving you Endless Fondue! Read below for details:

 

Our New Year's Gift to you - Endless Fondue is back for a limited time! 

$39 per person*

 

January 3rd through January 31st

Join us at The Melting Pot to eat your heart out with endless fondue!

 

Endless Fondue menu includes:

Unlimited Cheese Fondue of your choice

Unlimited Salad of your choice

Unlimited Eat Your Heart Out entree includes:

filet, shrimp, chicken, teriyaki sirloin and pasta

Unlimited Chocolate Fondue of your choice

 

Make your reservations today - Endless Fondue reservations don't last long! 

 

Click here to learn more.

 

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Bucs eye Luck’s decision

Here's some recent news about our beloved Bucs in Tampa Bay:

 

By IRA KAUFMAN

TAMPA—The Carolina Panthers aren’t the only NFL team monitoring Andrew Luck’s future.

The Panthers own the No. 1 overall pick in the April draft and they are hoping Luck, a redshirt sophomore quarterback, declares himself eligible by Jan. 15 instead of returning to Stanford. Luck has been labeled one of the premier quarterback prospects of the past 30 years and Carolina sorely needs a new face for a franchise that bottomed out at 2-14 in John Fox’s final year on the sidelines.

NFC South rivals like the Buccaneers are also keenly interested in Luck’s decision.

Tampa Bay’s defense already has to face a pair of Pro Bowl quarterbacks—Drew Brees of New Orleans and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan—twice every season. Ryan is only 25 and Brees turns 32 on Jan. 15, the same day that Luck must announce his intentions.

Luck could defy conventional wisdom and return to Stanford, especially in the unliklely event that Coach Jim Harbaugh comes back. The NFL’s uncertain labor situation might persuade Luck to bypass the 2011 draft because of the fear a lockout could leave him idle this fall.

 

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Christmas 2010

Only a couple more days till Christmas. If you have not yet gotten all the gifts to give to friends and family, here is a great website to get great ideas from. You can also get ideas for meals, games, etc. 

Have a very merry holidays Tampa Bay!

 

 

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Vertical Ventures

Here's a very cool present idea for adventurers out there in Tampa:

 

Intro-to-Belay Class for Two ($30) or $30 to Spend on Merchandise and Services (Pay $15)

This holiday season put your relationship on the rocks. But instead of stony stares, give your loved one the gift of stony stairs: Spend just $30 for an Intro-to-Belay rock climbing class for two at Vertical Ventures (a $72 value). This wired offer includes gear for two during your visit (including shoes, harness, and chalk bag) as well as a return visit to practice your new skills. Already big time on the (fake) boulders? Opt for $30 in merchandise or other services for just $15. Vertical Ventures was the first indoor rock climbing gym in Florida, and today it has more than 6,000 square feet of climbing. Every wall offers large, top-roped routes and smaller boulder problems, and every day new routes are set -- which will really help alleviate the ups and downs you feel about any type of workout. Leave the haul bag and climb on to today's deal before it hits rock bottom.

 

• 50%
  savings
• 108
  purchased
• 2 Days

 

Click here to learn more:

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Commission, Waste Management partner to green sporting events

Here is an interesting article to help eco efforts in Tampa Bay:

 

 

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission and Waste Management plan to help make local events greener.

 

Waste Management (NYSE: WM) will offer recycling services for cardboard, paper, plastics, glass bottles, aluminum cans and other materials for each Tampa Bay Sports Commission sponsored event within the Tampa Bay area.

 

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission is focused on generating social and economic impact through the vehicle of sports and works with more than 100 youth and amateur events on annual basis. The events produce more than 100,000 hotel room nights annually and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, tourism executives said in a release.

 

“Sustainability continues to be an enormous priority for our community and for our sporting events,” said Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, in a prepared statement.

Read more: Commission, Waste Management partner to green sporting events | Tampa Bay Business Journal 

 

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Despite departures, Rays confident about 2011

Here is some recent news about our very own Tampa Bay Rays:

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays fans have endured the pain of seeing Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford sign contracts with other teams, and more are likely to follow.

Rather than remain cranky, perhaps a change of mindset is in order, and a William Wordsworth passage is just the right tonic as the classic romantic poet penned:

Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind ...

Even though he wrote that long before computers -- or even typewriters -- Wordsworth's words should resonate with Rays fans. Despite the changes, there is a lot to draw strength about in what remains behind.

 

Click here to learn more.

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Remembering Coach McKay's winning ways

Here is the most recent news on our Tampa Bay Buccs:

 

TAMPA - As the story goes, John McKay, already an icon as football coach at the University of Southern California, was dining with his buddy, Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant. They were at Chasen's, then the ultimate see-and-be-seen spot in Beverly Hills.

The waiter approached.

"Coach McKay," he said, "Mr. Sinatra has a table in back and wants you to stop by."

McKay, unflinching: "You tell him to come up and see us."

A few minutes later, there was Frank Sinatra, paying homage.

Yes, John McKay absolutely did it his way. At USC, where his steady stream of one-liners played well with the Hollywood set, he won four national championships. McKay was the king.

Then he gave it all away to join an NFL expansion franchise. Fans in Los Angeles thought he was crazy. McKay probably agreed when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their first 26 games.

But McKay's plan worked. The Bucs went from worst to first, coming within 10 points of a Super Bowl appearance in 1979, just two years after the 0-and-26 nightmare. In turn, McKay added to his legacy, showing a level of determination that wasn't required when overseeing a college-football dynasty.

McKay will be posthumously inducted into the Bucs' Ring of Honor (joining his former defensive end, Lee Roy Selmon, the Pro Football Hall of Famer) at halftime in today's game against the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium.

 

Click here to read more.

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Miracle on Cleveland St.: 40 Tons of Snow Expected to Hit Downtown Clearwater December 4th

Here's an article to show you what happened in downtown clearwater on December 4th:

 

With nearly 40 tons of snow and 2 toboggan snow slides, Downtown Clearwater’s Miracle on Cleveland Street is back on December 4th with Carolers, SANTA and a special Christmastrain to take kids over to the Christmas Village!

Clearwater, FL, November 9, 2009 - Who says it never snows in Florida? The Clearwater Downtown Partnership figured out how to make it snow at their inaugural Christmas event called Miracle on Cleveland St. last December. 20 tons of snow graced Cleveland Street along with 2500 attendees - many of which were children who came out in full force to ride the toboggan snow slide and see SANTA. This December 4th, there will be nearly 40 tons of snow, 2 giant toboggan slides and a play snow area for those infamous snow-ball fights!

 

Click here to learn more.

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Woman’s Club Fulfills Wishes of Children at Joshua House

You can check socks off the Christmas list

 

Lutz, Fl (11/5/2010) – The GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club conservation initiative has enabled them to provide four hundred and eighty socks for the children at Joshua House. That is six pairs for each child residing on campus, enabling them to check off one item for each child on the Christmas Wish List.

 

“In August I presented the membership with a challenge. For each pair of athletic shoes brought to a general club meeting for recycling via the Nike Reuse a Shoe program the Board would purchase a six pack of socks for a child at Joshua House,” said Patricia Murphy Conservation Community Project Coordinator for the GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club. “The response has been amazing! Last year we didn’t have much interest in the program and I thought this would be a good way to encourage recycling and help the kids at Joshua House. Initially I requested $250 for the project budget for the forty children currently living on campus but we started the new program three months ago and we have already recycled sixty three pairs of athletic shoes.”

 

The Friends of Joshua House recently published the Christmas Wish List for the children at Joshua House, “The timing was perfect,” said Murphy, “we had the size information and I went shopping for the kids last weekend and dropped off our first donation today.”

Joshua House is a safe haven for abused, abandoned, and neglected children, offering a therapeutic residential group care program that provides a protected, nurturing, family-like environment for children six - seventeen. These children have been removed from their homes due to crisis and many have been through multiple foster homes. The Wish List is available on their website at www.FriendsofJoshuaHouse.com.

 

GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club (NTJWC) is a 501 (c)3, non-profit organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service. The GFWC was established in 1890, and is an international organization of community based women’s clubs. Annual contributions of GFWC clubs average 13 million hours and $37 million dollars donated through 168,400 local club projects. The structure of GFWC and its state federations allows member clubs to address the emerging needs of individual communities and to respond quickly to calls for help.

Established in the early 1990s, Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program collects old, worn-out athletic shoes for recycling, transforming them into Nike Grind, a material used in creating athletic and playground surfaces as well as select Nike products. Athletic shoes for recycling can be dropped off at the Nike Outlet Store in Ellenton. Nike has collected more than 24 million pairs – in other words, enough to create a chain of athletic shoes that goes all the way around the world more than five times. That’s a lot of kicks kept out of the landfill. Reusing old athletic shoes in sports surfaces also decreases the need for virgin rubber and other materials, decreasing the environmental impact of using new materials when building courts, tracks, fields and playgrounds. But the impact of Reuse-A-Shoe goes beyond keeping old kicks out of the trash. As one of Nike's longest-running environmental programs, Reuse-A-Shoe has been blazing the trail for sustainability and environmentally preferred business practices at Nike since 1990.

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