The idea is to keep the old shoes out of the landfill and to raise money for charity 

EGHS senior Rylee Shunney is collecting old sneakers and wants yours! She has set a goal of collecting 500 pairs of old sneakers by the end of May and she has 100+ pairs so far. She is partnering with Got Sneakers?, a sneaker recycling organization. The organization keeps old sneakers out of the landfill and gives money to nonprofits. 

For Shunney, a standout runner during her years at East Greenwich High School, the effort makes sense. 

“I have been lucky to have the best ‘gear’ for all my sports growing up and every child deserves that,” she said. “As a runner I go through sneakers often, and gently used shoes often end up in the landfill, which is terrible for the environment. Sneakers are 100 percent recyclable.”

According to Shunney, Got Sneakers collects the sneakers and determines if they can be repurposed or if they should be recycled. Sometimes that means a pair of gently used sneakers end up with someone who otherwise couldn’t afford a pair of sneakers. Or the shoes are recycled. 

“It is easy to help out,” Shunney said. “Drop your sneakers or cleats in any condition at one of the collection points or reach out to me to arrange a large donation pickup.”

The collection boxes are at Cole Middle School, EGHS, and AMP Training Center (816 Middle Road), or reach out to Rylee directly at [email protected].