Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is turning a hilarious negative into a positive — Allen is putting the shoe he infamously kicked Chris Paul’s grill with up for auction, which will benefit a charitable organization. Per the Commercial Appeal (via BDL) and eBay:
The shoe that Tony Allen wore when he inadvertently kicked Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul in the face on Nov. 18 will be auctioned online to benefit Youth Villages. Allen, who was ejected from that game and suspended, donated the shoe to the national nonprofit organization headquartered in Memphis. Youth Villages is auctioning the shoe online as part of an effort to raise $15,000 to buy presents for children receiving help on its residential campuses and group homes. The shoe is autographed by Allen and is mounted in a custom Memphis Grizzlies display case. The eBay auction runs through Sunday. All proceeds generated from the sale of the shoe will be matched by an anonymous donor up to $10,000.
Starting bid price of $750 will provide holiday gifts for 10 children in Youth Villages’ care. The auction ends Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013.
All proceeds generated from the sale of “The Shoe” will be matched 1:1 from an anonymous donor (up to $10,000) and will be used to ensure that all children away from their families this Christmas at Youth Villages experience the joy of the season.
Youth Villages serves more than 1,000 of the most vulnerable children and families in Shelby County every day. While many are served through in-home and community-based efforts, more than 355 children are in Youth Villages’ residential programs.
