A microbrewery along Route 66 in Grants, New Mexico, is offering free food to customers if they donate Nike-brand items they no longer want.
A few days ago, sports-apparel company Nike launched an ad campaign featuring former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began taking a knee during the national anthem two years ago to protest police brutality. In response to the campaign, some people have discarded their Nike items or even set them afire.
Kaepernick is a free agent, but no team has hired him. In response, he has filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging collusion by team owners to keep him out of the league.
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported on the Grants microbrewery’s offer:
Henry Lackey, an Air Force vet and owner of Route 66 Junk Yard Brewery in Grants, believes there is a better way to get rid of their Nike apparel.
“I figure if you’re going to burn it, why burn it when we could do something good with?” Lackey says.
He posted on Facebook that the brewery would give out free food in exchange for any Nike items brought in. He plans to donate it to local shelters.
“I don’t care what side you’re on. I just don’t want to see good things go to waste,” Lackey says. […]
Lackey’s Facebook post on the Nike-food exchange offer has only been up a few days. He says he hasn’t received any Nike products yet but he will be accepting the donations the entire month of September.
Here’s Route 66 Junkyard Brewery’s post about it on Facebook. As of Sunday night, it’s been shared 87 times and liked even more:
Lackey posted no stance on Kaepernick and the kneeling issue, except to say in a comment:
I’m a Veteran and I fought so you both could have your opinions so agree to disagree. The people I fought with are split roughly down the middle on this debate as well. This post is to give Nike items away and it’s not a discussion point on which side is correct.
Last fall, Route 66 Junkyard Brewery was sued by a European company that claims to own the “Route 66” trademark and name for its beer. Lackey vowed to fight the suit — namely because his microbrewery actually sits right next to Route 66 in Grants.
Nike saw its sales increase since the campaign launched.
(Image of the Nike logo by Steven Yu via Flickr)
When I see Judy Collins in concert, I go for her music. I hate it when she blathers on about her causes. I’m not there for a political lecture, I’m there to hear her sing.
Entertainers need to stick to entertaining.
That was my thoughts. Only a person with no empathy would burn their good, expensive shoes. There is a lot of need in this world. And a need for recycling and less burning of anything.