Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry is auctioning off two pairs of custom sneakers to benefit the families of the 36 people killed in the Ghost Ship fire earlier this month.
Two pairs of custom sneakers are up for auction on eBay as of today at ebay.com/CurryOaklandStrong.
Curry wore one of them, a pair of white sneakers with the words “Oakland Strong” printed on them, during a recent game against the New York Knicks.
CORRECTION An earlier version of the caption accompanying the photograph for this story incorrectly stated Stephen Curry would be auctioning off shoes worn against the Utah Jazz. Curry is auctioning shoes worn last Thursday against the New York Knicks.
He wore the other, more colorful shoes with the words “Ghost Ship” on them, during practice, according to the Warriors. Both shoes have the initials of all 36 victims printed on them.
So far the first pair has reached a price of over $10,000 and the others are going for $9,300. Both auctions are set to last 9 more days.
Curry said in a statement:
“We were all devastated by the news of this tragedy and the loss of so many young lives right here in our community. … My goal in wearing these shoes was to not only honor the victims that lost their lives that night but also to raise awareness for the relief efforts that are underway.”
All funds from the shoes will be donated to the relief fund started by the Oakland A’s just after the fire.
The Warriors have pledged $50,000 to the fund already, the players and coaches added $75,000 more and shoe maker Under Armor pledged $25,000, according to the Warriors. Organizers are working with the American Red Cross to distribute the funds.
The A’s fundraiser has raised a total of $527,000 as of this afternoon. It is one of numerous fundraisers established in the wake of the fire, which have raised an estimated $1.8 million as of today.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, though investigators are looking into an electrical cause. It broke out during an electronic music concert at the Ghost Ship warehouse near the corner of 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on the night of Dec. 2.
The warehouse was cluttered and difficult to navigate, according to firefighters, which led to many of the attendees being trapped inside while the fire raged.
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