A Wood River High School senior has taken on the ambitious task of collecting 500 pairs of tennis shoes for distribution to people in Africa.
"I wanted to do something as a fundraiser to help someone else globally," said Megan Reidy, referring to her high school senior project. "I had to make 100 pairs of shoes to pass the class, and I've made that, but my goal is 500."
As of Wednesday, she had collected about 350 pairs of new or "gently used" sneakers.
Reidy received donations locally from Scott USA and Ozzies Shoes Sun Valley and nationally from Adidas. However, she said, "the majority of the shoes I've got so far are used shoes from community members."
Reidy said she hit upon the idea of collecting shoes for her senior project in consultation with her mentor, Megan Thomas, foundation stewardship coordinator at St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center.
The shoes are being distributed to needy Africans by Yes, Inc., a national nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing basic human necessities to people in Africa. Yes, Inc. reports on its Web site that wearing shoes helps prevent the spread of parasitic diseases that "plague an estimated billion people" in Africa, Asia and South America. Once parasites, most notably hookworm, enter the body, they can infect intestines, the circulatory system, lungs, liver and other organs, leading to loss of limbs, chronic illness and even death.
"I love this project—my whole aim was trying to help people," said Reidy, the daughter of Ketchum residents Millie and Keith Reidy.
Reidy said the project has taught her advertising, marketing and communication skills, and perhaps most importantly that "who you know, rather than what you know," is often the best way to get things accomplished.
Reidy plans to go to college, but hasn't decided where yet and is considering majors in either business or pre-med.
Shoe collection boxes can be found at the high school, Wood River Middle School, Hemingway and Hailey elementary schools, the YMCA and the Elephant's Perch.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Megan Reidy, a senior at Wood River High School, is collecting 500 pairs of tennis shoes for distribution to people in Africa.
Photo by David N. Seelig
