Fleet Feet, Incorporated, the leading franchisor of running specialty stores, has launched a Vendor Partner Grant Program. The company awarded $25,000 in grants to five stores on behalf of its
vendor partners to support the stores' charitable contributions at the
local level.

The program was first unveiled its annual Winter Conference this month held in New Orleans.

According to Fleet Feet, Incorporated President, Jeff Phillips, the program has two primary goals:  “To recognize the great work our Fleet Feet Sports stores do to support important needs in their local communities and to show our deep appreciation for our major vendor partners and their ongoing support of our brand.”

Grants were awarded as follows:

  • Brooks Sports awarded Fleet Feet Sports Madison a grant for Miler in Training, a program with the goal of fighting obesity through prevention in one of their city's most underserved neighborhoods.
  • Saucony awarded Fleet Feet Sports Orlando with a grant for their after school youth running initiative, Starting Line Youth Fitness Program, which teaches children the benefits of running and staying physically fit.
  • Superfeet awarded Fleet Feet Sports Sacramento a grant for Project Fit, a free after school running program for children in low socio-economic communities which reached more than 500 children in 2010.
  • New Balance awarded a grant to Fleet Feet Sports Syracuse for their city-wide initiative Pride in Syracuse. Pride in our People. which supports a walking program for homeless men called Crossroads founded by their local rescue mission.
  • Balega International awarded Fleet Feet Sports Winston-Salem a grant for Mission: Feet First, a way to distribute properly fitted footwear to homeless and under-privileged children and families.  As the owner wrote in his application, “We want to touch their souls as much as we want to touch their feet.”

These stores received grants for the work they have done and will continue to do in their local communities to help those in need.

Currently there are 90 Fleet Feet Sports stores located nationwide.