Staff members at the Portland Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Oregon, were thrilled to find a pair of perfect condition Air Jordans in their donation pile, though they didn’t know who dropped off the shoes. The organization’s director took the shoes to a local sneaker shop and discovered that these weren’t any old Air Jordans— they were part of a small collection Nike made for director Spike Lee in 2019 that was never released to the public. Sotheby’s offered to waive the seller’s fee to host a sneaker auction, estimating that the pair could garner up to $20,000 for the shelter. Portland Rescue Mission held a watch party for the auction, which erupted in cheers when the sneakers ultimately sold for $50,800. The sale money will be used to expand the shelter’s meal program and maintain the critical services they provide to the Portland community.
Image via CNN
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