Donation Corner: Double Time!

Since October has 31 days, and since I'm actually posting on the first day of the month, I decided to double it up and put two organizations in the spotlight this month! Given the cooler temps, I find myself spending more time outside, usually doing an activity of sorts, so both charities this month fall into an 'active' category.

First up is Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program. If you're like me, you go through several pairs of tennis shoes each year, only to throw them in the trash after two months of training. What a waste! They're not good enough to donate, but I have never found a second home for them until now. Nike, as part of their Let Me Play program, started grinding up old sneakers (any brand, any make) in an effort to cut down on waste and to help build sports surfaces such as basketball courts and playgrounds. Just to give you an idea of how many shoes are used for these surfaces, here are a few numbers:
• Outdoor basketball court: 2,500 pairs
• Mini soccer field: 10,000-20,000 pairs
• Playground: 2,500 pairs
• Indoor basketball court: 2,500 pairs

The only catch is how to get the shoes to Nike. This link allows to to search by country and state, but many of you might not have a nearby drop-off location. You can mail your shoes directly to Nike (which will cost you postage); I suggest you collect shoes from a few families, or maybe even your neighborhood, before sending in a shipment. It might take a little leg-work on your end, but isn't that what 'giving back' is all about?

The second charity I want to spotlight is Medals4Mettle. I read about this charity in a recent Runner's World magazine, and I was instantly touched by the sentiment behind this organization. As an active person, I have completed several 5Ks, 10Ks, and other various races. Every time you complete a race, you get a tee-shirt. Over the last several years, my collection has grown and the tee-shirts mean very little to me because I have so many. Some people compete on a higher level and run a few marathons each year. When you complete half and full marathons, your prize includes a medal. I assume after three or four, the medals become less important to those runners as well. In 2005 a doctor completed a marathon and went directly to work. He checked in with a cancer patient who was in the midst of a rough round of chemo. The doctor presented the marathon medal to the patient because compared to the battle the patient was enduring each day, a marathon was a walk in the park. (For those of you, like me, that didn't know what mettle meant, it is synonymous with courage.) So for those of you who run marathons and want to do more than just run for yourself, you can donate your hard-earned prize to someone who runs a marathon (and then some) every day. (You can also donate money for ribbon production if you don't have any medals to give.)