Friends and Brothers,

This initial letter comes to you to confirm my campaign to collect new tennis shoes for homeless men.

New Tennis Shoes For Homeless Men

On Saturday the 17th of March 2007, it was my privilege to kick off this campaign
at the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of New Mexico, a challenge to the Senior Wardens of the many Lodges of New Mexico to compete with me in this effort.

The Lodges throughout our state will achieve this goal. A challenge has been laid; the gauntlet has been thrown. At the Masonic Olympics this coming summer the Lodge that displays the greatest number of shoes will win “The Golden Shoe” (a traveling trophy) and I will buy the Senior Warden of the winning lodge his own pair of
new tennis shoes.

As I expect to take this trophy back to Estancia #33,
allow me to inform you that my shoe size is 14 and my preferred color is white.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) informs us.

25% of America’s homeless population are veterans.

33% of America’s male homeless population are veterans.

It turns out that donations of clothing and footwear for men may be at the bottom of the donation list. Men tend to wear clothing to death and then convert it to polishing cloths for cars and shoes. Their wives have been known to wait until a man is asleep, then raid his closet and bury the remains in the back yard.

That man just might go and dig them up.

New Tennis Shoes For Homeless Men

I have built and am building a pyramid of shoes.
In speaking with Toni, favorite manager of my Wal-Mart,
she referred to a “Shoe Tree”.
Call it what you will, doesn’t it sound like a good idea to you?

To my friends who are not associated with Masonry I offer options.
You can send shoes to me, you can send a check to me, you can buy a pair of new tennis shoes for a homeless man and drop it off at a local Masonic Lodge or a local shelter.

In response to the great success this campaign is sure to achieve we will advance it to the national level in 2008. The Lodges of the fifty states will be asked to enhance our achievements.

When you see us on Oprah and Dave, and I say thank you to the many people who have made this concept reality, you will know that you were here on the ground floor of the Temple.

A pair of new tennis shoes for a homeless man will cost ten to fifteen dollars at your local Wal-Mart. I’m not talking “cheap shoes”. I wear such shoes most every day, and they are damn good shoes. I don’t know from personal experience, but I understand that a homeless man spends a lot of time on his feet and on the move. He’s not welcome in many places.

Allow me to repeat myself.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) informs us.

25% of America’s homeless population consists of veterans;

33% of America’s male homeless population consists of veterans.

Whatever I say to you three times is true.

New Tennis Shoes For Homeless Men

I love you and let you go for now.

Don’t make me come back after your ass.

Mark R. Youtzy

SW Estancia Lodge #33 A.F. & A.M. of New Mexico