FORT MYERS, Fla. – Former FGCU baseball standout and current Chicago White Sox staff ace Chris Sale and his wife, Brianne, have teamed up with local charity Laces of Love for the second-consecutive year for those in Southwest Florida to donate new shoes to children in need during the Jan. 16 basketball doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. at Alico Arena against USC Upstate.
 
On that day, fans are encouraged to donate new shoes – in particular sneakers – or to contribute financially, with all proceeds and shoes collected going directly to low income and disadvantaged children in Lee and Collier counties. Those who plan to donate shoes are asked to do so only with new shoes, with boys and girls sizes 1-8 being the most commonly needed.
 
Sale, who led the American League in strikeouts this past year en route to a 4th-straight All-Star selection, will be in attendance on Jan. 16, and he addresses the cause alongside Brianne and son, Rylan, in the attached video.
 
The inaugural drive with the Sales took place last January, and fans donated 850 pairs of new shoes and approximately $2,000 in donations – marks they hope to surpass this year.
 
"Brianne and I are so excited to give back to our local community through Laces of Love, and we're also grateful for FGCU Athletics providing us a platform to help others," said Sale. "Jeanne's (Nealon, Laces of Love President and Co-Founder) passion for these children is so contagious it make us want to be involved. We are looking forward to this event again and topping the great results we had last year, and are happy to be able to make any kind of positive impact on these children that we can."
 
In 2015 alone, 10,000 children in Lee and Collier public schools received a new pair of shoes from Laces of Love, bringing the total to almost 85,000 new shoes distributed to those in need since the charity's inception in 2005. Laces of Love also provides shoes to children who want to participate in sports – i.e. soccer cleats, volleyball shoes, football cleats, basketball shoes – but would otherwise be unable without the appropriate footwear.
 
"We are so excited to have Chris and Brianne support our mission to help needy kids again this year," remarked Nealon. "It is great to have FGCU support a local charity to help so many needy kids in Southwest Florida. A new pair of shoes makes such a difference in a child's life, and we're looking to surpass the results of last year."
 
Laces of Love relies solely on a volunteer staff and donations, and works directly with school nurses, teachers and staff to help identify children in need and ensure they receive the proper-sized footwear.
 
"We look forward to witnessing our Green and Blue backers supporting this terrific initiative again this year after a tremendous amount of donations last January," added FGCU Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. "We are honored to have the opportunity to even play a small part with such a wonderful cause. What Jeanne and her group of volunteers have built is such a heartwarming story, and it is nice to see Eagles' Brianne and Chris as active members of this fantastic Southwest Florida philanthropy."
 
Boxes will be available upon entry into Alico Arena for the 4 p.m. women's tipoff on Saturday, Jan. 16, and continue through the men's game, which gets underway at 7 p.m., in which shoes and monetary support can be donated. For fans unable to attend those games but who would still like to donate to Laces of Love, visit www.lacesoflove.org or call 239-591-1172.
 
"When we first learned of Laces of Love a couple years ago, to our surprise – even though we live in one of the wealthiest areas of the United States – more than 60 percent of Collier County public school students are 'economically needy,'" said Brianne Sale, who also attended FGCU and has fulfilled her course requirements for graduation. "Last year we were overwhelmed with the amount of donations, and we're hopeful that we can top that this year. Our goal is to also raise awareness for those in need and to continue making an impact in these children's lives in years to come." 
 
Sale is one of only six players in Major League Baseball history to play in the big leagues the same year he was drafted after being selected 13th overall following his junior season at FGCU in 2010. This past summer, Sale became the second-fastest starter in MLB history to reach the 1,000-strikeout milestone. Since moving to the White Sox starting rotation in 2012, Sale – one of the best, if not the best, left-handed pitcher in baseball – has compiled a 53-37 record and has never had a season ERA over 3.41 en route to finishing sixth in the Cy Young voting in 2012, fifth in 2013 and third in 2014.
 
The southpaw broke a 107-year-old White Sox record this past season by striking out 274 batters, besting the previous mark of 269. Sale earned the victory in the 2013 All-Star Game after pitching two perfect innings in a 3-0 AL win. While at FGCU, Sale – who lives in the area in the offseason and remains a great supporter of FGCU – was named the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year in 2010 after posting a perfect 11-0 record with a 2.01 ERA over 17 games. In 103 innings during the '10 campaign, Sale struck out a national-best 146 batters while walking only 14.
 
FGCU ATHLETICS
In its 9th year as a Division-I member, FGCU has won a combined 48 conference regular season and tournament titles as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference and Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. In just its 5th year of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has made 21 total NCAA Championship appearances, and seven programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sports. Ticket information for upcoming events is available at FGCUAthletics.com/tickets or by calling 239-590-7145. Additional news and schedule information is available at FGCUAthletics.com. Follow us on Twitter (@FGCUEagles), Facebook (/FGCUAthletics), Instagram (@FGCUAthletics) and YouTube (/FGCUAthletics).
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visitwww.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.