This fall, the Saint Mary’s College cross country team is collecting pairs of new and gently used shoes of all types and sizes to send to the people of Uganda.
During this past summer, senior cross country co-captain and nursing major Megan McClowry spent six weeks in Kyarusozi, Uganda, living with the Sisters of the Holy Cross while working in a health clinic. The village of Kyarusozi is known as an impoverished settlement that has been greatly affected by the AIDS pandemic.
An avid runner, Megan would get up each morning and go running through the countryside. It was during this daily regimen that she would witness something that would engrain itself into her mind and spirit.
Children in Uganda playing soccer barefoot.
“In Uganda I was struck by the number of people, especially children, who would walk miles on dirt roads every day,” Megan said. “Every morning while I ran I would look forward to the point where children from a nearby school would run the rest of the way to their school with me. Although I had shoes, they did not. As a runner I know the importance of a good pair of shoes, and couldn't help but think how many old pairs of running shoes I had at home.”
From that experience, Megan came up with the idea of having a shoe drive. After consulting her coach Jackie Bauters, the pair worked to incorporate the shoe drive into the program’s annual Alumnae Run and beyond. Serving as the “kick off” to the drive, the Alumnae Run helped Megan and her teammates collect nearly 250 pairs of shoes.
As the drive has expanded across campus in the form of boxes in residence halls, classroom buildings, and the gym, it is estimated that 500 pairs of shoes have been donated. While the team has set their goal on keeping the shoe drive going until the middle of October, shoes will be accepted throughout the entire semester.
The team is working through an organization called Share Your Soles. Megan and her teammates are planning on taking the donated shoes to the Chicago-based foundation over the College’s fall break in October and will plan another drop off of shoe donations later in the semester.
If your team is interested in helping with this service project or donating funds to help the people of Uganda, please feel free to contact Jackie Bauters (jbauters@saintmarys.edu), Julie Schroeder-Biek (jsbiek@saintmarys.edu), or Sarah Miesle (smiesle@saintmarys.edu) for more information.
We would also be willing to accept your donation as our teams travel to compete at your institution throughout the semester. Please contact us if you are interested in having one of our teams pick up a donation.
