Kids Aim to Save the World ‘One Stinky Sneaker at a Time’
Hats off — or would “shoes off” be more appropriate? — to all the kids across the U.S. who helped collect more than 10,000 used sneakers for recycling, setting a Guinness World Record at the same time.
National Geographic Kids magazine launched the shoe collection effort after publishing a special green issue last fall, with actress Cameron Diaz serving as a guest editor and campaign kickoff donor of two pairs of old shoes. Five members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team also contributed used footwear for the cause.
But it was kids from coast to coast who made the real difference, eventually gathering 10,512 pairs of old shoes for recycling. The campaign concluded last week, when all the pairs were tied together in the courtyard of National Geographic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, setting a new world record (verified by a Guinness official) for the longest-ever shoe chain. Placed end to end, the chain of shoes would have extended for more than a mile-and-a-half.
One youngster, an 8-year-old boy named Peter from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, made the greatest contribution, collecting more than 500 old pairs of shoes throughout the campaign.
The old sneakers will be sent on to Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program, which grinds up old shoes to make material for surfacing playgrounds, basketball courts and soccer fields.
As National Geographic editor Melina Bellows put it, “Kids are saving the world one stinky sneaker at a time.”
Related Posts:
Solar S’mores, Blackout Wednesdays Win Florida Kids Green Honors
Girl Scouts vs. Cookies
