Detroit area man urges people to donate Nike gear - not burn them

(WJBK) - Nike says just do it. A Detroit area man says just donate it.

He wants people who own Nike products to stop burning them in protest and hand them over, instead.

Social media flooded, the commentary endless - all over Nike’s decision to make Colin Kaepernick the face of a new ad campaign. It has caused some outraged Nike owners to burn their gear in videotaped elaborate protest videos.

David Cleggs wants to change that.

"If you’re not going to wear it don’t throw it away or destroy it somebody can use it," he said.

That’s what Cleggs thought when he saw people protesting Nike's choice, vowing to ditch the company’s products and destroy anything with the unmistakable swoosh logo. 

"I understand you might feel that way, but there is someone that can use that, It’s really wasteful," he said.

Just hours before FOX 2 spoke to Cleggs, he set up a Facebook page asking people not to destroy their Nike stuff but donate it instead to veterans and the homeless.

His idea is catching on.

"Word just kind of started spreading now you guys are here," he said.

He says the movement is meant to be apolitical.

"I don’t care what Colin Kaepernick is doing or what Nike is doing," he said. "That’s not really what this was about." 0

He’s got a special place for veterans, that’s because he is one - and knows the sacrifice.

"I was in college at Appalachian State University in North Carolina and our National Guard unit got called and said you’re going on active duty," Cleggs said. 

Obviously there is people that didn’t make it back or got hurt and that’s the sacrifice. 

Cleggs says it’s easy to post something from behind a keyboard but it’s harder to be part of some kind of solution. 

"Hopefully this will be something positive to come out of something divisive," he said.

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