To support the Black-owned businesses in New England that are still struggling due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Boston Celtics star Kemba Walker is auctioning limited edition custom Air Jordan 35 sneakers custom-designed by Boston-based artist Soems.
The sneakers feature graphics inspired by some of Walker’s much-loved black-owned businesses in Boston, including “Mobar Cuts, The Urban Grape, Zaz, and Murl’s Kitchen.” The AJ 35 up for grabs were worn by the star in a Celtics game against the Miami Heat this past Sunday and later autographed for auction.
The fundraiser
Celebrating and honoring the National Small Business Week, Walker teams up with Vistaprint to produce this auction event as a limited edition capsule collection that is showcased in an exclusively designed parquet package. The collection features a pair of Walker’s AJ 35 sneakers and his autographed one-of-one trading cards highlighting the star’s game-worn jersey with Vistaprint patch.
All proceeds from the auction will fund the Boston Celtics Power Forward Small Business Grant program, which provides economic and marketing resources to Black-owned small businesses across New England in partnership with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Walker is also determined to contribute his partnership fee to support the program and Vistaprint agrees to match his contribution.
Teamwork and auction
Together till date, Vistaprint and Celtics have generated a million dollars to fund the Power Forward Small Business Grant program, hope the recent collaboration with Walker adds more to the initiative. The auction is on via “I Got It” app and the bidding remains open till Wednesday, May 12 midnight.
“It’s clear Vistaprint is committed to leaving its imprint in the Boston and greater New England communities and I am excited to team up with them for this capsule collection which will support Black-owned small businesses,” Walker said in a statement. “Between the exclusive gear and the great cause, you won’t want to miss this auction.”