An elementary school in Sullivan County is collecting sneakers and cleats in an effort to keep them out of local landfills.

The George L. Cooke Elementary School Student Council has been looking for ways to pay it forward to the community.

On Earth Day, the children learned about how long it takes for sneakers to decompose in the local landfill, and they wondered if there was a way to recycle sneakers instead of throwing them away.

The students came up with the idea of collecting sneakers and shipping them to developing countries to help keep sneakers out of the local landfills, while also putting shoes on the feet of less-fortunate people around the world.

For the remainder of the school year, the students will be collecting gently-used sneakers, rubber soccer cleats, and rubber baseball cleats. If you would like to make a donation, please drop them off at the Cooke school during normal business hours.

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