SAAC Challenges Teams to Donate Shoes to Africa

AMES, Iowa -- An athletes' shoes may be their most important piece of apparel. But in Africa, where extreme poverty denies many people a necessity like shoes, footwear is a blessing. Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) member and senior track and cross country runner Jory Zunich knows this personally after his speech assignment about poverty in Africa.

“The quality and length of life these people lead can drastically be improved if they have shoes. Shoes help prevent hookworm and the spread of other diseases.” Zunich said.

His assignment inspired him to challenge each team at Iowa State to donate their used shoes. The SAAC is made from at least two representatives of each sport at Iowa State. The SAAC has been taking action in impacting the world and our community in positive ways. The SAAC and ISU teams responded to Zunich's challenge, and half way through the drive they had already collected over 100 pairs of shoes. For Zunich, a business management major from Williston, N.D., says the project has been rewarding.

“It's a good feeling,” Zunich said, “You take shoes for granted when you get new shoes every 300 miles. After doing the research, I've seen how important shoes are to the shoeless.”

The drive ended last week.