Patrick Campbell
AT Journalism Student
The AT Track and Field Team is partnering with the World Wear Project, a clothing collection company based in Dallas, Texas, to have their annual shoe drive throughout the month of October.
Starting in 2016, the track team has used this shoe drive as an opportunity to raise money for equipment such as new pads and hurdles. “We started the shoe drive my first year as the head coach here as just an extra way to make money for the team, but it ended up being much more beneficial than we expected,” said Mr. Ziebka, head coach of the track and field team.
Thankfully, the shoe drive has always seemed to continue to be a success. “By the end of the month we have to send out eight or nine of those boxes full of shoes and we usually have one or two that we have to save for next year,” said Ziebka.
The World Wear Project partners with many different schools and organizations across the country, helping to keep our world a little cleaner by repurposing unwanted shoes and clothing. Shoes and clothing account for 5.2% of the waste we produce. Donating your shoes to the shoe drive will allow for them to be repurposed and resold to stop that 5.2% from getting any bigger.
The shoes they collect are sent to people in need in Central and South America to help them set up businesses to support their families. Clothing, along with essentials like food and medicine, is one of the most important things that developing countries can be deprived of. The World Wear Project helps ensure that those countries receive the help that they need.
The money raised from the shoe drive is what pays for the hurdles former All-State hurdler Hamza Kittaneh practiced on last year before placing 7th in the 300IH at the state meet.
Collecting shoes is just one of the many ways the AT Boys Track and Field team will be fundraising this year. You can expect to see athletes walking around the halls selling anything from Taki’s to popcorn by the year’s end.
If you’re interested in donating shoes there are drop off boxes littered throughout the building. You’ll find one in all department offices, as well as in Mr. Ziebka’s room in 218. The community drop off box at door 1 is open to the public for donations as well. Help your track team out Blazers and donate some shoes!
