As of Monday, April 21, the PTSA shoe drive is officially under way.  The shoes collected will help raise money for the $3,000 of scholarship money awarded to seniors.  7,500 pairs of  shoes will be needed to reach this goal.

Shoe drives have been pulled off successfully by other school PTSAs and it was decided that the school should give it a try.  The response from the community has been overwhelming.

“I sent an email out notifying parents about the shoe drive and within an hour, I had gotten a call from a woman saying she had shoes to donate.  I hadn’t even put out the box yet,” PTSA president Aleshia George said.

Although the PTSA is only testing the waters with the shoe drive, they are planning make it to the annual fundraiser for senior scholarship funds.

The PTSA has partnered with Funds2Orgs, an organization that buys used shoes and gives them to young people in third world counties.  Collected shoes will be repaired and cleaned before being shipped overseas.  Funds2Orgs provides job preparation and training and helps to set up small businesses while providing individuals with their first pair of shoes.

“There was another company that paid a little bit higher, but we liked the philosophy behind this one the best,” George said.

Shoes will be collected through the end of the school year, but it is estimated that the goal will be reached before then.  A collection box is located in the front office.