Students and staff at École Ste-Marie want to sock it to poverty.
That's why students and staff shunned their shoes April 12 as part of One Day Without Shoes. Inside the classroom, students went around in their sock feet, all in an effort to make them aware of the discomfort of being shoeless for a day, said principal Norm Roy.
All 345 students and 40 staff wore bright pink, orange, green, blue or yellow T-shirts, which are meant to be a memento of the school's thoughtful gesture in helping others, Roy said.
“I wanted this to be a thought-provoking day,” Roy said. “We want to raise awareness of the many people in the world who can't afford footwear.”
Millions of people, mainly in developing countries, cannot afford a good pair of shoes, he said.
That's why the school is taking their efforts one step further. Students and staff will collect slightly worn shoes until April 22. They will be donated to Soles4Souls, a not-for-profit organization committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing in many countries.
Since its inception in 2006, Soles4Souls has distributed 26 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries.
Many shoes will also be donated to a local charity, Roy said.
“We've asked our parents to do a spring cleanup and to give us their slightly worn shoes,” he said.
In only the first day of collecting shoes, there were at least 150 pairs collected in a pile inside the school. If each student and staff member brings in one pair of shoes, it will go a long way in helping out the less fortunate, he said.
“I know we're going to end up with close to 8,000 pairs,” he said.
