Girl Scouts with Troop 13036, North Sashabaw Elementary School, want your old shoes.
Earning their Bronze Awards, highest honor available for their age, they’re organizing a community project helping the environment, Nike’s Re-Use A Shoe Program.
‘It’s green,? said scout Samantha Wood. ‘Using this material for courts saves oil.?
‘It helps keep stuff out of landfills,? said Katlyn Collias.
‘It’s good to not waste shoes, don’t throw shoes away,? said Krista Bowles.
They’ll put up collection boxes next week around the community for used athletic shoes, which will be ground up and made into basketball and tennis courts, tracks, and playgrounds.
‘We asked school principals if we could put boxes outside for collection, and also at Kroger’s and other places,? said Danielle Keusch.
‘They said, ‘fine,?? said Hailey Teneyck. ‘Running Gear said if we bring four garbage cans, they’ll fill them for us.?
Each scout in the troop has a job, such as contacting sponsors, research, and making signs.
‘I think these will be helpful,? said Lauren Tait, holding up one of her handmade signs.
They hope to collect 5,000 pairs of shoes, Teneyck said.
‘We want 25,000, but that probably won’t happen,? she said. ‘Five thousand is enough for two outdoor basketball courts.?
Drop off used athletic shoes of any brand, Oct. 24-26, at North Sashabaw Elementary, 5290 Maybee Road; Running Gear, 5390 Dixie Highway in Waterford; St. Daniel Church, 7010 Valley Park Drive; and Kroger, 5590 Sashabaw. For more information, call 248-396-0832.