Start bringing in your shoes and looking for collection boxes and bins; the 2017 Battle for the Boot began January 3, 2017. This year our theme is the “Battle against Water Poverty” and SLU joins Lindenwood University, Washington University, University of Missouri in St. Louis (UMSL), Webster, Fontbonne, and Maryville in a joint effort to collect 15,000 pounds of shoes. SLU has been challenged to collect 7,300 pounds.
“Things are a little different this year,” said Yvonne McCool, the organizer of SLU’s shoe drive. The golden boot has been retired. “But, we are still competing for our internal boot trophies,” McCool said. She continued with a special “thank you” to Manisha Ford-Thomas, Assistant Director, Housing and Residence Life and Brandon Verhoff, Director of Sustainability and Benchmarking, for their role in recruiting the contacts for 11 resident halls. In the past, Fusz Hall was the only resident hall collecting shoes for the shoe drive and the student participation is tremendous.
This year there are 35 collection sites on campus and 2 collection sites off campus. A complete list may be viewed by clicking this link.
This year there are 35 collection sites on campus and 2 collection sites off campus. A complete list may be viewed by clicking this link.
Every year, the Saint Louis University community donates thousands of pounds of shoes to help support efforts to bring clean water to those who thirst. Without each and every person who brings in shoes, places a collection box in their building, helps sort and count shoes, we would not be successful. McCool said, since we began collecting shoes in 2012, the SLU community has donated 30,787 pounds of shoes. “That’s just amazing!” For questions, please contact Yvonne McCool, ymccoolm@slu.edu , or call 314-977-8957.
