Wednesday, March 15, 2017 Used shoe drive through April 28
Students, faculty, staff, and the community are invited to drop off used athletic shoes and soccer shoes at the three campus recreation facilities – Rec & Wellness Center, Outdoor Adventures Center, and Campus Rec Center – from March 1 to April 28. Collection boxes are located in the atrium of each building.
Shoes must be in gently-used (but not overly abused) condition to be accepted and beneficial. Women’s and men’s sizes 7 to 11 are the most preferred, yet all sizes will be taken. Only athletic shoes and soccer shoes are being collected. No street shoes or dress shoes can be sent to the beneficiary - the MORE Foundation Group.
MORE Foundation Group collects shoes to prevent them from being deposited in landfills. The group uses the proceeds from the shoes to plant thousands of trees each year, which offsets carbon in the atmosphere. The offset from one pair of shoes equals one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2). Four global communities – one in Honduras and three in Ghana – benefit economically from the agroforestry industry created in their area. Read more about the MORE Foundation Group.
“Campus Recreation is excited for the local community to have a global impact,” says Christopher Dulak, senior assistant director for marketing and communications. “Our programs and services encourage everyone to lead a healthy and active life – running, sports, fitness, playing, and outdoor pursuits. Unfortunately, used athletic shoes are a by-product of these activities. This shoe drive keeps the shoes out of landfills while simultaneously creating new agroforestry industries in impoverished global areas. Each tree planted reduces our carbon footprint. One pair of shoes reduces one ton of CO2. Six hundred shoes funds the 12-month training for a family to become economically and environmentally sustainable. Our active lives can improve the lives of others.”