Bobbi-Toads Teams with Lin-Manuel Miranda, National Museum of Puerto Rican Culture to Donate Shoes to Puerto Rican Families

In support of the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico as a result of the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Bobbi-Toads, an exclusive line of customizable children's sneakers, today announced that the brand has shipped 1,050 pairs of shoes to Puerto Rican families in need.

The sneakers are being donated in partnership with the National Museum of Puerto Rican Culture (NMPRAC) headquartered in Chicago, devoted to the promotion, integration and advancement of Puerto Rican arts and culture, the sneakers will be delivered to families impacted by this natural disaster.

On Wednesday, November 1 at a private event at the museum, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Broadway composer/lyricist/Alexander Hamilton of the hit Hamilton will join in these respective humanitarian efforts to highlight the needs of Puerto Rico and the impact of these related relief efforts in Chicago in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

"We founded Bobbi-Toads with a mission to give back in all that we do. With upwards of 3.4 million U.S. Citizens in Puerto Rico still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, this is just one small way are helping to provide aid to the families who have affected," said Bob Stanley, Co-Founder and President of Bobbi-Toads. "If we can bring a smile to children in the face of devastation, we have accomplished much more than simply creating quality sneakers. We have left an impression for a lifetime and have hopefully inspired others to take action and lend a helping hand with the resources they have available."

"On behalf of The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, I would like to thank Bob Stanley and Bobbi-Toads for their generous donation and ongoing partnership. These sneakers will help lift the spirit of children who really need something to smile about," said Billy Ocasio, CEO of the museum.

Since its inception in 2012, Bobbi-Toads has dedicated the company to giving back to a variety of philanthropic causes and charities. Bobbi-Toads donates 30% of all of their proceeds from all of their sales to those in need including Our Lady of the Angels inner-city mission in Chicago as well as various children's oncology units throughout the country including Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.

Founded and launched in 2012, Bobbi-Toads is the first-ever line of paintable and light-up toed sneakers designed to inspire and spark children's creativity. Each sneaker can be customized with exclusive Bobbi-Polish and Bobbi-Stickers and are eco and animal friendly. To learn more and to get involved, visit Bobbi-Toads.

The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture is a cultural anchor in the City of Chicago as well as become the preferred destination for all those wanting to learn about our rich history, art and culture. As the only self-standing Puerto Rican museum in the United States our vision is to collaborate with other institutions to harness the necessary resources in order to expand our programming, exhibits and visitor experience. The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture's mission is be a place where preservation meets inspiration. For more information, go to www.nmprac.org.

Lin-Manuel Miranda - Broadway: Composer/Lyricist/Alexander Hamilton of Hamilton (eleven Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Award, Drama League Awards for Distinguished Performance and Outstanding Production of a Musical), Composer/Lyricist/Usnavi of In the Heights (four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score, Grammy Award, Pulitzer Prize finalist), Bring It On: The Musical (co-composer/co-lyricist, Tony nomination for Best Musical), West Side Story (2009 revival, Spanish translations). Off-Broadway: Hamilton (ten Lortel Awards, eight Drama Desk Awards, among others). With Tom Kitt, Lin-Manuel received an Emmy Award for "Bigger" from "The 67th Annual Tony Awards." TV/film: "Freestyle Love Supreme," "How I Met Your Mother," "Smash," "Do No Harm," "Modern Family," "House," "The Electric Company," "Sesame Street," "The Sopranos," The Odd Life of Timothy Green, 200 Cartas and Disney's Moana (Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations) and Mary Poppins Returns (12/25/18 release). 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient.

Lin-Manuel's charity single "Almost Like Praying" (featuring Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Camila Cabello, Pedro Capo, Dessa, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, Juan Luis Guerra, Alex Lacamoire, John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Moreno, Ednita Nazario, Joell Ortiz, Anthony Ramos, Gina Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, PJ Sin Suela, Tommy Torres, and Ana Villafañe) benefitting the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund for Puerto Rico was released on October 6, 2017. It hit #1 on iTunes in 17 countries and was the #1 most downloaded song the week of its release. Visit www.linmanuel.com for more.