This Toronto artist is painting and donating 100 Nikes for vulnerable youth. Here's why
A Toronto artist is painting and donating 100 pairs of Nike Air Force 1s to show that hope can be laced into a pair of sneakers.
At 15-years-old, Daniel Mazzone, now 42, slept in a park behind the Art Gallery of Ontario, or on a toilet in a mall bathroom with his head folded into his lap. On cold days, he sometimes bought a $2-ticket to a Scarborough theatre, sunk into a seat and closed his eyes.
“I was homeless for five years,” Mazzone told CTV News Toronto. “When I did have a chance to get a pair of shoes, it kind of gave you a little bit of hope … hope that you could move forward.”
That’s why he decided to spray paint 100 pairs of Nike running shoes. Of the 100 pairs, 90 are being given to youth transitioning out of government care and 10 are being auctioned off until Friday to raise money for the Children's Aid Foundation of Canada.
“I spent so many years just in survival mode,” he said. “Towards the end, I just thought, you know, this can't be my life story, this can't be it.”
At 20, Mazzone decided to go back and finish high school while taking a job at a high-end restaurant and painting on the side.
With a paintbrush in hand, he thought back to his time living on the street and the judgment he felt as people walked by and looked down at him.
Daniel Mazzone, a Toronto artist who painted and donated 100 pairs of Nike Air Force 1s.“Wouldn't it be nice if the story of your life was on your skin, like a tattoo? That way when people see you, they wouldn't be so quick to judge, they would understand what you've gone through and really understand who you are,” he said.
For that reason, he crafts labyrinths of intricate designs in the faces of his subjects, which are often blockbuster names like Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn and Nelson Mandela.
The restaurant owner he was working with when he started painting insisted on hanging one of his pieces in the establishment. Four days later, it sold.
“I quit my job the exact same day they bought it,” Mazzone said. He’s been working as an artist ever since.
“I just really decided that this was something I was going to do and this was something I was meant to do. I never looked back.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Tips to make a house or apartment safe and accessible for older adults living at home
Here's a summary of tips from the U.S. National Institute on Aging and AARP, which offers a free room-by-room guide with practical suggestions for older adults living independently.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.