Interact, a Solon High School club centered around international charity work and modeled after the Rotary Club of Solon, is hosting Shoes for the Sole from March 13 to March 24. The objective of the project is to collect new or gently used shoes to donate to people in West Africa.

SHS senior Chris Thomas, who founded Interact, understands the need for shoes in an area where they’re widely unavailable to the community.

“We’re collecting new and old tennis shoes to donate to Senegal,” Thomas said. ”The people there just wear plastic water bottles because they don’t have shoes and they don’t want to get parasites in their feet.”

Interact was founded two years ago, and this is their first year hosting Shoes for the Sole. Tyler McRill, who became involved in Rotary Club of Solon about five years ago, assisted in forming Solon High School’s Interact. Although SHS has never done Shoes for the Sole, Rotary Club been successful in hosting similar events.

“This idea was proposed to us by a member of the actual Rotary Club, and we were encouraged to activate a shoe drive in our school,” McRill said. “We have never personally done a drive like this, but Rotary Clubs across the world hold similar events all the time. It has always been successful for them, and we are sure that with the support of the school and the students in it, we will be able to hold a very successful shoe drive that will make a positive impact on those in need.”

During the weeks of March 13 and March 20, there will be areas around the school for students to contribute their shoes.

“There will be boxes around senior commons and some other locations around the cafeteria for people to donate,” said Aaron Jeter, the faculty advisor for Interact. “The goal is that Solon students will find any older shoes that they have and donate them.”

Shoes, although they don’t seem like it, are very important to avoid health issues and other problems.

“Many of the citizens in Senegal obtain damaging diseases such as hookworm or other parasitic diseases as a result of having little to no protection on their feet,” McRill said. “By donating, students will be able to make an immediate impact on these citizens’ lives.”
Shoes for the Sole creates an opportunity for students to help out in a simple way. Everyone is encouraged to participate and donate any shoes they can find around their homes, new or old.