The Student Athlete Advisory Council is holding a shoe drive in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Center and is encouraging all students to participate.

SAAC has partnered with Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program and is taking donations from April 10 to 18.

“Being in the AARC, we figured people would see it (the bin) who come to work out,” senior SAAC President Traci Pastoors said. “(Shoes are) just something that everybody has that we figured they could donate.”

But this isn’t just your typical shoe drive. The Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program takes old shoes and turns them into things like playgrounds, fields, sport courts and tracks. The recycled shoes benefit underprivileged schools and communities around the world.

“They make fields, courts, all different things with the rubber and the shoe,” senior SAAC President Fritz Waldvogel said. “It also goes back to make new shoes, so it’s more just the recycling process, and it helps save the environment a little bit.”

SAAC is looking to collect 500 pairs of shoes during seven-day drive, and St. Thomas strength and conditioning coach Tyrone Stenzel believes it won’t be “too hard.”

“When I bring my shoes in I’ll probably bring in about five or six pairs I’ve got laying around, so I don’t think it’s too hard to get to 500 pairs,” Stenzel said.

Stenzel said that donating to the shoe drive is an easy way for students to put their best foot forward and give back.

“All you have to do is bring a pair of shoes, drop it off in the bin right outside the front desk. It’s that simple,” Stenzel said.

Olivia Cronin can be reached at cron2722@stthomas.edu