Over the next three weeks, members of Rotary clubs in District 6040 will work to collect 20,000 pairs of new shoes as part of their annual effort – a number selected to represent the 20th anniversary of the collection drive.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
Find out how to advertise here - Email us! [email protected]
District 6040, which is composed of Rotary clubs in northern Missouri, has collected 355,885 pairs of shoes over 19 years. The shoes are shipped to nonprofit program Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, where they are sorted and sent to vulnerable children in countries like Kenya, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
The shoes are traditionally purchased entirely by the Rotary District 6040 clubs, but this year, the clubs are calling upon the public to help them reach their goal of 20,000 pairs. Donations to purchase new shoes may be made at Buckner.org/Rotary6040Gives.
A highlight of the annual shoe collection is the Rotary shoe caravan, which features a truck and 53’-trailer traveling across the northern part of the state. This year, the caravan’s journey will visit every Rotary community in northern Missouri: 44 stops in two legs reaching the district’s 56 clubs.
From May 13-15, the caravan will stop at Cameron, Gallatin, Bethany, Albany, Maryville, Tarkio, Rock Port, Savannah, Brookfield, Marceline, Huntsville, Moberly, Kirksville, Edina, Memphis, Lancaster, Macon, Milan, Unionville, Princeton, Trenton, Lathrop, Plattsburg, Lawson, Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Smithville, Weston, Platte City, and Gladstone.
The shoes collected during the drive will provide hope for children living in orphanages and impoverished communities. Through in-country foster care, empowerment programs, transitional care and humanitarian aid, Buckner International supports children and families in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Mexico, and Peru.