Air Jordans made for Spike Lee and donated to Oregon shelter auctioned for nearly $51,000
A pair of rare Nike sneakers donated to an Oregon homeless shelter in Portland sold for nearly $51,000 at auction on Monday
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Watching a countdown of the auction's final minutes on Monday, Erin Holcomb couldn't believe it: the sale price kept jumping for the rare, gold Nike Air Jordan 3s that were anonymously dropped in the donation chute of the Oregon shelter where she works in Portland.
“In the last five minutes it went up and up, and every time we saw that number increase, there were tears and people clapping,” Holcomb, director of staff ministries at the Portland Rescue Mission, told The Associated Press.
The sneakers, one of just a few custom pairs that had been made for filmmaker Spike Lee, ultimately sold for $50,800 — more than double the high end of the predicted sale price. All proceeds will benefit the Portland Rescue Mission, which has served people struggling with homelessness, hunger and addiction since 1949.
“We couldn't believe it,” Holcomb said. “The generosity of this moment has been a huge celebration for our whole organization.”
