For Bare Feet, NFLPA Partner for “32 Teams, 32 Socks, All For Charity” Virtual Auction

MARTINSVILLE, IN. and WASHINGTON D.C., November 11, 2020 – NFL players will design custom, limited-edition pairs of socks, as part of the “32 Teams, 32 Socks, All For Charity” virtual auction. The first-of-its-kind initiative stems from the licensing relationship between For Bare Feet, a leader in officially licensed and novelty socks, and the NFL Players Association (“NFLPA”), via its licensing and marketing arm NFL Players Inc. All proceeds from the virtual auction will benefit charities selected by each player. Once players joined the campaign through the NFLPA, each pair of socks was individually designed in collaboration with the player, their charity and For Bare Feet design team.

“We’re thrilled to build on our long-standing relationship with the NFLPA to execute this initiative for charity,” said Kelly Baugh, CEO of For Bare Feet. “As a company deeply rooted in giving back, we recognize the tremendous value of the work these NFL players are doing on and off the field. We are honored to collaborate with the players and NFLPA to help positively impact charities.”

Until December 11, 2020, at 11:45pm ET, the For Bare Feet socks designed by the players will be released in groups on a weekly basis for live bidding at auction.forbarefeet.com. Winning bids will be announced within 24 hours of the closing bid.

The auction provides For Bare Feet and the NFLPA with the opportunity to spotlight the players’ year-round charity and community outreach efforts.

“As athletes, we have a responsibility to help others in any way we can. Thanks to our partners at For Bare Feet and the NFLPA, I’m proud to join other NFL players in creating exclusive custom pairs of socks for the #32Teams32Socks All for Charity virtual auction, with all proceeds benefitting causes we care about,” said Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum.

Below are examples of the player socks up for auction and the organizations that will benefit:

• Kelvin Beachum– World Vision and its mission to help children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
• Oren Burks– House of Hope helping women and children experiencing homelessness.
• Jared Goff– Partnering with the Inglewood Public School System to support students.
• Reid Ferguson– Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which funds type 1 diabetes research.
• Austin Hooper– The Austin Hooper Foundation, which helps foster care children with an emphasis on those aging out of the system.
• Dontrelle Inman– Prosperity Now, which helps provide a clear path to financial stability.
• Jonathan Ledbetter– The Conscious Kid dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth.
• LeSean McCoy– Shades of Greatness Inc. Foundation helping socio-economically disadvantaged children and their families.
• Golden Tate– The Golden Future Foundation, which provides resources to veterans who have served and sacrificed.
• Ito Smith– Huntington’s Disease Society of America dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by the disease.
• Darian Thompson– The Alzheimer’s Association, which provides care and support and accelerates research.
• Darren Waller– Darren Waller Foundation that equips youth to avoid and overcome addiction to drugs and alcohol and support youth and their families during their recovery and treatment journey.

Only three pairs of each player’s socks will be produced – one pair for the player, one pair for each auction winner and one pair to be included in a 32-sock collection set to be auctioned at the conclusion of the charity campaign with proceeds going towards the Professional Athletes Foundation, which supports, strengthens and inspires players as they navigate the many obstacles of life.

For Bare Feet has been a licensee with the NFLPA since 2014, when the company developed a process to produce socks featuring the images of NFL players. Due to the universal success of the product line, For Bare Feet was named Licensee of the Year by the NFLPA in 2015.

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About For Bare Feet

For Bare Feet is a leading manufacturer and retailer of officially licensed and novelty socks. For Bare Feet began in 1984 when Sharon Rivenbark opened a retail store with one knitting machine for her son, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Since then, For Bare Feet has grown into a dominant sock manufacturer with licenses for the NFL, NBA, NHL, Colleges, Hershey, Wrangler, and many others. For Bare Feet operates 9 of its own retail stores and the corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility in Martinsville, Indiana.

About the NFL Players Association
The National Football League Players Association (“NFLPA”) is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 NFL season.

About NFL Players Inc.
NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, connects businesses to the power of NFL players. NFL Players Inc. creates customized business solutions for partners, through licensing, marketing strategy and player activations. For more information, please visit nflpa.com/players.