Girls Basketball Completes Shoe Drive with Community Support

Girl’s basketball collected over 2,500 shoes for Soles4Souls in a months-long effort. The team used a variety of methods to spread the word including putting up flyers and knocking on doors. Good samaritans would then drop off their old shoes at Campo.

Soles4Souls is a non-profit organization that takes unwanted shoes and clothing and gives them to people that need them more.

“We were here on the weekends; we were collecting shoes from people by going around our neighborhoods. The team put out pamphlets and door hangers with the information and that really made an impact,” said sophomore Erin Campbell.

Donating shoes has become a tradition for girl’s basketball, and shows their dedication to community service and charity. “Every year we team up with a sponsor of our team and we get flyers for the shoe drive which we spread around our community,” said senior Charlotte Arnswald.

The team then spent weekends sorting and packaging donated shoes, which were then sent to Soles4Souls headquarters in Tennessee.

“After they receive the shoes, Soles4Souls ship it out to people in need, who then in turn, sell the shoes for profit or will use them for themselves. It’s amazing that our team can make a difference for people that live all around the globe,” said junior Julia Erickson-King.

“A lot of both students and parents came in and supported our cause. I remember one lady’s face lit up with joy when she saw the amount of shoes we received. The shoes are not going to waste, they are going to a good cause because so many people in our community have shoes they don’t use anymore,” continued Erickson-King.

Soles4Souls has a network of beneficiaries and other organizations they work with around the world. They either donate shoes or contribute to the less fortunate monetarily. “[Soles4Souls] ship the shoes or like just a couple either dollars or coins really not much, but they’re able to like then get that money to provide for their family,” stated Arnswald.

The team also grew closer and bonded while spearheading the shoe drive. “It’s nice because it’s a way to get to see your teammates outside of the basketball court. So you get to know them on a personal level. And you’re also giving back to the community using your resources to help those less fortunate,” said Campbell.

“It’s a really rewarding experience and it was really fun to spend quality time with the people I played basketball with these last few years,” said Arnswald.

To learn more about Soles4Souls, visit https://soles4souls.org/.