LACROSSE.COM, a sponsor of Lacrosse All Stars, recently commissioned world-renowned sneaker artist Kickasso to design four pairs of custom lacrosse cleats. All four pairs – each inspired by one of the top four men’s lacrosse teams in the ACC – are currently up for auction on Ebay to support the US Lacrosse First Stick Program.
With LACROSSE.COM headquarters just fifteen minutes from both the UNC and Duke campuses, the ACC slant is to be expected. But I wanted to find out a little more about this project, the artist, why they chose to support the First Stick Program, and if they had any goals in mind. What follows is a one-on-one interview with Rien Zabor, Marketing Manager at LACROSSE.COM.
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Why is Lacrosse.com auctioning off these four pairs of cleats?
Our ultimate goal with these auctions is to raise money for the US Lacrosse First Stick Program. We have a strong relationship with US Lacrosse, and we believe in their mission to grow the game by providing all the necessary resources from equipment to coaching education to programs.
Also, having our headquarters so close to UNC and Duke, we are huge ACC fans. With that we wanted to give the lacrosse community a chance to share in that love for such a great lacrosse conference by providing the opportunity to own some one of a kind items.
Why did you choose the First Stick Program?
We chose the First Stick program because of the work they do to grow the sport of lacrosse and the reach they have to do so. Each year they provide new programs across the country with the opportunity to enjoy our game and the resources to sustain those efforts.
What are the design inspirations behind each pair?
We wanted to something unique to build some excitement around the ACC tournament and pay homage to the top teams. With our company’s connections to Kickasso and knowing his exceptional body of work, we knew he would be able to create something amazing. The direction we gave him was simply that we wanted some designs recognizable to those top four ACC teams: Notre Dame, North Carolina, Syracuse and Duke. Then we said, “go for it!”
Who is Kickasso and what is his background? Where can we learn more about him and see his other work?
Kickasso, also known as Troy Cole, grew up in the garage as his family owned a body shop. His first line of work was in painting and detailing cars and motorcycles but later decided to refocus his talents into one of his passions, footwear. Through the years while designing some incredible works of art, Kickasso has found the secret formula to maintaining those designs on the select footwear even when worn and used on the field of play without damage.
To find out more about Kickasso you can follow him on Instagram and see some of the work he does for well-known athletes like Odell Beckham Jr., Kevin Durant, Lebron James and more.
Is there a financial goal for the auction? How can people help get the word out about it?
There is no specific number in mind, we just hope to raise as much money as we can for the First Stick program. The best part about the auction is that as the bids get higher, so does the donation amount!
To help get the word out, people can not only share this story so everyone can get the background behind this project but share the link to the auctions with their friends, family members and more. We will be posting more images of the custom cleats through our own social media channels (@lacrossedotcom) so reposting and retweeting will also help.
How does this effort reflect the core values of LACROSSE.COM’s parent company, Sports Endeavors?
At our very core we strive to inform, inspire and innovate. We believe that these auctions hit each of those core values by presenting some very unique items to not only create excitement around some of the best lacrosse teams in the country but also provide inspiration and an avenue to give back to our great sport.
In one of our more recent fundraising campaigns, we have designed a selection of apparel for the Denmark National Lacrosse team where the team will receive a portion of sales to help fund their journey to the 2016 European Lacrosse Championships this summer. Our more well-known fundraising campaigns though is where we similarly design a handful of apparel items for sale during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with 100% of the proceeds going back to the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center. Our company raised nearly $18k through that campaign in 2015.
What are a few important things people should know about Lacrosse.com?
LACROSSE.COM, originally known as Great Atlantic Lacrosse, has deep roots in the game. Our company was founded in 1994 by two brothers who wanted to present all of the necessary products to play and enjoy our sport in a unique way, which is when the famous Great Atlantic catalog was born. Through the years our company has evolved tremendously from its humble beginnings to where we are today, but although the name and catalog have changed, our mission to provide top of the line lacrosse equipment in an inspiring fashion has never wavered.
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Duke Custom Lacrosse Cleats – Nike Vapor Carbon
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North Carolina Custom Lacrosse Cleats – Nike Huarache V
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Notre Dame Custom Lacrosse Cleats – Under Armour Highlight
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Syracuse Custom Lacrosse Cleats – Nike Vapor Carbon
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