The University of Toledo

This month as you are out buying school supplies, add an extra pair or two of children’s shoes to your list and make an immediate impact on a child.

The University of Toledo Judith Herb College of Education Alumni Affiliate is sponsoring the second annual shoe collection drive for area elementary schools. The alumni group is teaming up with the colleges of Engineering and Health Science and Human Service Alumni Affiliates to collect gym shoes and dress shoes in youth and small adult sizes. School supplies, such as pencils, pens, paper, backpacks and tissues, also will be accepted and used to help students get a head start on their school year.

Throughout the month of August, donations can be dropped off at the Alumni Office, located in Driscoll Alumni Center Room 2001, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A donation drive event, the Shoe Tree Social, also is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, at the Dorr Street Café, 5423 Dorr St. Drop off your donations, meet the members of the three participating affiliate groups, and sample free appetizers provided by the Dorr Street Café.

In previous years, the Judith Herb College of Education Alumni Affiliate has done backpack drives, but recently they decided to take a different route.

“With so many backpack drives already in operation, we ventured out to do something different,” said Marcus Sneed, assistant director of the UT Alumni Association. “So many kids come in with torn shoes or they don’t have the proper shoes for gym class. We saw a definite need that we could help fill.”

Last year, the group collected about 60 pairs of shoes, and this year they are hoping to gather even more, said Tammy Talmage, vice president of the Judith Herb College of Education Alumni Affiliate.

The organization also does a mitten and hat drive in the winter and a breakfast bar drive in the spring to help support students who are in need.

In previous drives, they were able to support six schools with backpacks and supplies. However, during last year’s inaugural shoe drive, they had to reduce support to just two schools, Talmage said, adding, “By joining forces with three other affiliate organizations, we hope to be able to adopt additional schools and help more children.”

All donations will go to the students of area elementary schools.

For more information, go to www.toledoalumni.org or call the UT Alumni Office at 419.530.2586.

This entry was posted  on  Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 at  5:03 am and is filed under  Events, UToday.
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