The public is invited to participate in a shoe collection drive co-sponsored by Mentone Elementary School third graders and Bell Aircraft Museum to benefit the museum from Feb. 1 to April 30.

The drive will help to raise funds for further restoration of the museum’s Huey helicopter while benefiting micro enterprise ventures in developing nations and keeping old shoes out of local landfills. Individuals can help by donating gently worn, used shoes at Mentone Elementary School.

In the U.S. alone, approximately 630 million pairs of shoes are thrown away per year. The materials used to manufacture a pair of shoes are created from chemical compounds that will create health hazards if left to disintegrate openly or in landfills. By donating your gently worn, used shoes to the Bell Museum, your shoes are given a second chance to make a difference.

All donated shoes will be redistributed to micro enterprise partners through Funds2Orgs and used in developing nations for impoverished people to start, maintain, and grow a unique business opportunity to feed, clothe and house their families.

“We are very excited to be conducting this shoe drive in Mentone with the help of the Mentone School third graders,” noted Marsha Scott, museum board member. “This campaign will raise funds that directly benefit Bell Museum and be used for restoration of the Huey helicopter. The additional advantages of diverting shoes from the waste stream to create commerce and sustainability in peoples’ lives make this a win-win for everyone.

“Our goal is to collect 7500 pairs. The only way we can do that is if community members step up and help. I am calling on everyone to clean out their unwanted, gently worn, used shoes and donate them to us,” Said Scott.

If you, or a local organization, are interested in learning more about this opportunity or participating in your own shoe drive, you may contact Marsha Scott by phone at 574-353-7460 or email [email protected].