Woman's Club collects shoes for national drive

by Shannon Brown

The General Federation of Women's Clubs of Montana, Thompson Falls Chapter, has taken on the fundraiser “gotsneakers?” A sneaker recycling organization redistributes and recycles athletic shoes and sneakers nationwide.

According to the GotSneakers website , in the United States at least 200 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills each year, taking 30-40 years to decompose while releasing harmful chemicals in the process. GotSneakers’ goal is to repurpose the shoes to new owners or recycle them, thus keeping them out of the landfills. Sneakers that are in excellent or good condition are given to needy people in places such as the Caribbean, Central and South America, West Africa and Europe. This allows people to purchase pre-owned footwear at an affordable price. Shoes that are in fair condition are distributed to non-profits that bring them to those in need. Shoes in poor condition are ground up and recycled to be used in textiles, new shoes and sporting or playground surfaces. Shoes that are donated can be in any condition, size, color, or brand but must be athletic shoes or sneakers. This includes running shoes, athletic cleats with rubber or plastic soles, hiking boots, timberland or sorel style shoes and casual tennis shoes such as Converse, Keds, etc.

This is the Thompson Falls club’s second year of gathering shoes to prevent them from heading to the landfill, according to club member Cara Thompson. “Last year we collected 225 pairs of shoes and raised $176, saving approximately 507,825 gallons of water and 6,750 pounds of carbon dioxide from ending up in the landfill,” she noted. Thompson said the women’s club will receive up to $7 for each pair, depending on the quality of the shoes. “We will use this money toward community service projects or funding scholarships for local students,” Thompson said. They will be collecting shoes at locations until the first week of January, but are looking to keep a few locations more long-term.

Collection bins are located in Thompson Falls at Rimrock Lodge, Harvest Foods, Thompson Falls High School, Aspire Physical Therapy and the senior center. In Plains, shoes can be donated at Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Montana Realty Partners, or in Trout Creek at the senior center.

For more information on the program, visit gotsneakers.com.