Got sneakers? Help others!

a student holds up two pairs of shoes
Third-grade student Navayah Bolden brings in several pairs of shoes to be donated.

The George L. Cooke Elementary School Student Council has been looking for ways to pay it forward to the community. On Earth Day, when they learned about how long it takes for sneakers to decompose in the local landfill, they wondered if there was a way to recycle sneakers instead of throwing them away. 

The students came up with the idea of collecting sneakers and shipping them to developing countries to help keep sneakers out of the local landfills, while also putting shoes on the feet of less-fortunate people around the world. 

For the remainder of the school year, the students will be collecting gently-used sneakers, rubber soccer cleats, and rubber baseball cleats. If you would like to make a donation, please drop them off at the Cooke school during normal business hours.