Bwhs save darfur shoe drive

save darfur​

briar woods high school needs your help and your old shoes!! the shoes can be any condition, size, shape, or type. The only requirment is that the shoes need to be in pairs.

Our goal is to collect 400,000 pairs of shoes to represent every innocent person who has been killed in the geoncide of darfur. The collected shoes will be displayed on the national mall this spring to make a statement. All shoes will then be donated to homeless shelters.

A collection box will be located at the melkus home.
21562 schoolhouse court.

collection ends march 31st.

Thank you for your help!

 

Why not donate the shoes to the people in Darfur? I am sure they can use shoes.

I think they would appreciate that more than a display at the mall to "make a statement".

Just a suggestion.

 

Ozgood's FedEx account number is KZM46-0924.

 

That's one option, but I would think that dealing with some of the NGO's already in the business of transporting supplies to the Sudan would be a better choice.

http://www.darfurinformation.com/ic_ngos_active.asp

 

This "display" is to humanize the numbers of people being killed in Darfur, not an attempt to provide aid. The problem there is more of a political genocide, not an attempt to aid starving or homeless people.

 

Really?? These are high school kids trying to "humanize" the genocide in Darfur. Can't we just support a good deed that they came up with on their own and organized on their own??

 

If making a statement makes them happy, so be it.

It is the thought that counts I guess.

 

Well go ahead and contact the school, find out who is chairing this and let them know what is available.

 

There's a funny thing about "making a statement" - you never know when it will be a hit. 46 years ago a guy stood onthe steps of the Lincoln Memorial and made a speech. It was a "rally" to make America aware the extent of inequality in the Nation. 14 years ago another man tried to organize a Million Men to make America aware of "an attack on social programs by the conservative nation." One rally was a huge success and a stepping stone to last year's election, the other was widely regarded as a farce that accomplished very little.

What if the first had been a dud and the second had The Spark? Where would we be today? One can never tell.

Yes, almost every night Faux News reports on a "Rally being held by neighbors..." or "a vigil being held by relatives & friends..." or show "crowds chanting slogans..." (that's my favorite - what slogan? "We're number 883!!!"?) and I ask myself; "Annnnnnnd so? Howsabout instead of a rally y'all show up at town council hearings? Howsabout instead of a vigil you organize a Communty Watch?" However, as Brassy knows, I am basically cynical.

But - what if? What if one of the crazy, "feel good" displays kicks something off? You never know until you try, right?

 

better than kids finding ways to vandalize the neighborhood and terrorize their neighbors- i'm dropping off shoes tomorrow! thanks to the teens who are using their time to focus on humanity instead of harm.

 

Me too! How great that high schoolers are thinking beyond themselves and trying to get others to as well! They did say that the shoes would be donated to homeless shelters. I'm sure the shelters will welcome the shoes and that they'll be appreciated by those in need. And in the process they highlight a terrible tragedy. Maybe their involvement in this project will spark their awareness and a new interest and lead them to other projects down the road too.

 

i truly believe its NEVER too early for kids to be exposed to thinking outside of their own little worlds and realize how terrible others have it and how lucky we are! get them young, then we'll have less self absorbed me-first adults plaguing the earth, and more philanthropic young adults we will raise.

 

I cannot believe that there are critical remarks being made about this (Ozgood).

Kids are getting their heads out of their.. ipods and thinking about larger issues. We should affirm this, not judge that a "statement" isn't good enough!! Our govt under the past administration basically refused to recognize that genocide was occuring in Darfur. Maybe the shoe demonstration will wake up a few people as to the magnitude of this atrocity. Furthermore the shoes will then be donated to needy people in our country/region.

The whole exercise is a positive one, which may inspire these kids to pursue greater service to their community, nation, or world. Why not support them.

 

Why are you having a hard time believing it?

What, is it now against the forum rules to offer a different viewpoint on a topic?

If these kids want to make a statement, that's great. More power to them. I would never say they should not do it. I was just making a suggestion that these shoes might help the suffering children in the Sudan.

No need to italicize your disbelief. It was just an opinion.

 

The other important thing to keep in mind, while the display is to humanize Darfur, the shoes will be donated to local homeless shelters in the DC area after the demonstration....so there is action behind the visual.

 

Ozgood - it's simple - your comment's value add was . . . .?

 

Ozgood, sorry if the italics were over the top. Maybe a would have sufficed? No offense intended.

 

See www.shoesonthemall.com for more information.

 

I have a few pairs of shoes to drop off at the box at Mill Run tomorrow and can't help but wonder - how are they going to stay in pairs? The flyer says nothing about tying the shoes together or bagging them, etc. It's going to be quite a job to sort out 400,000 shoes.

 

I'm a procrastinator -- are they still collecting shoes?