Student-Athlete Sofia Cuevas '23 Organizes Second Annual Shoe Drive April 6

Sofia Cuevas, a third-year Economics and Politics double major and cross country and track athlete, has set a date for her second-annual shoe drive. The shoe drive will happen on Wednesday, April 6, during the campus community hours of 12 to 2 p.m. in front of the Library. Donations of lightly worn athletic shoes are encouraged, but worn shoes are also accepted to be repurposed and recycled. 

Last year, Cuevas collected used running shoes from her track teammates and the local community to donate to One World Running (OWR)––a non-profit organization that gives athletic shoes and clothing to those in need around the world. Last year’s shoe drive was a hit, creating yet another tradition of giving amongst the Saint Mary’s community. 

This year, Cuevas said, “The women’s track and field team as well as the Sustainability Department on campus are partnering with One World Running. Last year we were able to collect close to 175 pairs of shoes, so we’re really hoping we can beat that number this year.” Cuevas mentioned that last year, most of the donations came from the Moraga community since fewer students lived on campus over the 2020–2021 school year. 

“This year, we want to take advantage of Saint Mary’s students returning to campus by setting up an event for students to participate in. This has allowed me to learn more about the behind the scenes of organizing an event on campus as well as how willing the Saint Mary’s Community is to help in whatever way possible.” 

This is Cuevas’s first time organizing an event on campus. It takes a lot of time to organize logistics and solve unseen challenges. “Thankfully, we’ve been able to partner with the Sustainability Department, which has provided us with all of the support needed. 

“My favorite part of putting this event together for the second time has been the amazing people I’ve been able to collaborate with that are just as passionate about this issue as I am. I am beyond thankful for Dr. Ann Drevno (director of Sustainability) and Payton Reil (Sustainability intern and president of Green Gaels) for their guidance and commitment in the past couple of weeks,” Cuevas said. 

“Service for others has always been at the root of our work, and it is because of this that we wanted to put this event on for the second year in a row. Additionally, our conversations in planning this event were centered around how we could have the greatest impact and increase the size of our donation.”

Those who are interested in getting involved beyond a shoe donation on April 6 are welcome to do so. “Because One World Running is a non-profit organization, they are always looking for extra help,” Cuevas said. “They accept shoe donations year round as well as financial support so that they can distribute the shoes and continue to do their work. OWR also offers the opportunity to participate in their distribution trips.” 

More information on how to get involved with One World Running here.