Raffle for Merritt's gold-medal shoes canceled due to conflict

A planned raffle for LaShawn Merritt’s gold medal-winning track shoes was canceled Monday because of a potential conflict with state fundraising guidelines.

For $3, anyone purchasing a raffle ticket at about a dozen Food Lion stores would have gotten a shot at owning the shoes the track star wore in the 4x400-meter relay in Beijing.

But a corporate spokeswoman for Food Lion, the grocery chain where the tickets were being sold, said the charity event is over.

“While the fundraiser was held in good spirit, it is not consistent with the governing policies that we must follow in the state of Virginia,” said Christy Phillips-Brown.

In keeping with those policies, Food Lion stores in Virginia do not hold fundraising raffles, she said.

The raffle was organized by David Porter, Merritt’s uncle and the manager of a Food Lion store on Victory Boulevard in Portsmouth. The proceeds were to benefit Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters through the Children’s Miracle Network.

Instead, Food Lion, which is a national sponsor of the Children’s Miracle Network and raised $300,000 last year for CHKD, will donate $1,000 to the hospital. It also will give Merritt’s shoes to the hospital to use in a future fundraising effort, Phillips-Brown said.

Tickets were sold for five weeks. Phillips-Brown said she believed 55 were purchased. Anyone who bought a ticket can get a refund or donate the money, she said. The raffle was scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Porter’s store.

In all, 13 stores in Portsmouth and Chesapeake participated, Porter said.

On Monday, before the raffle’s cancellation, Porter showed off his nephew’s spikes.

Merritt, a Portsmouth native and Wilson High graduate, wore the white Nikes with red and black swooshes in the first leg of the 4x400-meter final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The U.S. team’s performance set an Olympic record.

Merritt also won an individual gold in the 400 meters, but he’s keeping those spikes, which he had bronzed, Porter said. The 1600-meter relay pair, men’s size 11.5, are feathery light and are signed by Merritt.

Local officials with CHKD were unaware of the fundraiser until contacted Monday by The Virginian-Pilot.

“What a wonderful thing to do,” said Karen Gershman, executive director of development for CHKD.

Porter said he pitched the idea to Merritt of donating something for charity, but he didn’t expect his nephew to part with such a keepsake.

“I thought that he was going to give me all practice shoes, or some T-shirts, but he said that he’ll go ahead and give me those shoes,” Porter said. “And I said, 'Alright.’ ”

Attempts to reach Merritt through Porter on Monday were unsuccessful. However, Phillips-Brown said Merritt is aware of the revised plans for his shoes.

Ticket sales were likely affected by confusion over what exactly was up for grabs. Paper printouts advertising the raffle in the checkout lanes at Porter’s store said people were buying a shot at a pair of Merritt’s “tennis shoes.” Porter said that was due to an employee’s mistake.

Meanwhile, fliers at a store on London Boulevard said it was a raffle for the shoes that Merritt wore to win two gold medals.

Dave Forster, (757) 446-2627, dave.forster@pilotonline.com