The Sault Ste. Marie Women’s Hockey League (WHL) donated nearly 1,000 pairs of shoes, boots and slippers for charity.
The WHL recently held a shoe drive in support of one of their sponsors, Bioped Footcare. For the past 10 years, the local BioPed clinic has specialized in lower-limb care through biomechanical assessments, custom-made orthotics, compression stockings, bracing and footwear.
They have made it their mission to give back and help those in need through their partnership with the non-profit organization Soles4Souls Canada.
Soles4Souls distributes shoes in Canada and around the world for children and adults who otherwise might not be wearing shoes or are wearing shoes that they have outgrown. New shoes are donated by retailers and manufacturers, donated shoes are given a second life through the micro-enterprise program which helps female entrepreneurs earn the funds that they need to survive by building businesses. Funds from businesses help to purchase food, clothing, medical care, books for education and other necessary services.
On the sustainability front, a benefit of this program is that the shoes aren’t going into a landfill—they are being repurposed and given a second life.
Local BioPed owner and Canadian Certified Pedorthist, Nicole Reid, has traveled to Haiti and Guatemala with Soles4Souls and has seen first-hand the difference this program makes in people’s lives.
Speaking of her time travelling, Nicole says “I didn’t truly understand the microenterprise program until I met a woman named Ginette in Haiti. Ginette had previously owned a business selling rice and beans, but her business was destroyed by the earthquake. She was able to rebuild her life through her work with Soles4Souls. The shoes that she gets from Soles4Souls allowed Ginette to provide for her family, rebuild her house, and even put her son through university. Since meeting Ginette, it has motivated me to want to collect as many shoes as possible to help more people lift themselves out of poverty.”
The Sault Ste. Marie BioPed team won the “Giving Back” award at the 2022 annual BioPed Conference for collecting the most shoes network wide. Last year, they collected 7,000 pairs of shoes, and this year they have set a goal to collect 20,000 pairs of shoes by fall 2025.
Through generous donations from friends and family, WHL players from all divisions across the league collected footwear throughout the month of November to support BioPed’s goal.
Reid said, “Bioped would like to send a huge thank you to the Sault Ste. Marie Women's Hockey League for teaming up with us for an amazing shoe drive. Together, they collected nearly 1,000 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls Canada.”
Through the Soles4Souls program in developing nations those shoes equal...
5,000 meals (one pair equals five meals)
50 years of shelter for a family (20 pairs equals one year of shelter)
33 years of school (30 pairs equals one year of school)
Bioped is continuing to collect donations of new and gently used footwear from anyone until their goal is met. Donations can be dropped off at their location: 51 Great Northern Rd. (across from the Cambrian Mall) during open hours.