News Article Release

Class of 2015 Donates Shoes to Planet Aid

May 23, 2012

By Jessica Clark

The Naval Academy Class of 2015 donated 456 pairs of running shoes to Planet Aid May 22 prior to the Herndon monument climb that signified the end of their first year at the academy.

The project was spearheaded by members of the Midshipman Action Group, who collected the shoes left behind by the plebes, paired left and right shoes together with matching sizes and delivered the shoes to Planet Aid drop-off locations around Annapolis. The midshipmen ended the academic year with more than 20,000 hours of community service.

It’s an important gesture for the plebes to make at the end of a tough year, said Midshipman 3rd Class Emily Hughes, who coordinated the shoe drive.

“The last thing they do as a plebe is donate something to someone in need,” she said.

Planet Aid is a nonprofit organization that collects donated clothing and shoes to protect the environment and support sustainable development in impoverished communities around the world. The organization protects helps preserve natural habitats by reducing the volume of textiles entering the solid waste stream, thereby saving on landfill space and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Herndon shoe drive is one of three donation drives sponsored by MAG during Commissioning Week. The midshipmen also collected donations of school supplies for delivery to local schools and clothing for Linda’s Legacy, a nonprofit organization founded by Annapolis resident Linda Greenberg that helps provide warm clothes and other supplies to people in need in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area.

For Hughes, participation in community service represents the midshipmen’s gratitude for the opportunities they have.

“We all have bad days sometimes, but we have to remember we are so well off,” said Hughes. “We’re at the Naval Academy because our community believes in us, and giving back to that community is important.”