Our Goals
To tap into the enthusiasm and generosity of athletes by offering them the ability to donate their gently used running shoes to refugees in Africa and the needy in their own community.  Through working with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) and local non-profits, Sole Responsibility is able to ensure that athletes' gently used shoes get into the hands, and onto the feet, of individuals who need them.

In 2011 we aim to:
Double shoe collections to 8,000 pairs annually. Expand collections beyond the spring running season. Expand the number of collection sites. Give athletes the opportunity to donate their shoes in other locations in Canada. Partner with a transport company that will donate transit to Ottawa for shoes collected in other locations. Partner with a company that will store the shoes prior to transit.
About Sole Responsibility We are a non-profit organization formed by a group of runners in Ottawa who want to donate gently used running and walking shoes overseas. As runners, we buy new running shoes every few months. Our old shoes are no longer suitable for training, but still have miles of life left in them. So we started to think of all the runners in all the events in the National Capital area – and we thought it would be great if we could collect their used shoes and ship them to people who really need them.  Each spring, we will collect shoes at Ottawa running events. We will also have drop-off sites throughout the city. We ask for a donation of $2 per pair to offset the shipping costs.
Where the shoes are going? After consulting with the UNHCR to determine the area of greatest need, we have been asked to send our shoes Kenya in Africa this year. Since starting in 2005, our collections have gone to Chad, Rwanda, Lesotho, Cameroon and Namibia.
What type of shoes are we collecting? We are collecting running shoes of all shapes and sizes, adult and children's sizes.
Interested in doing a collection at your office, school or neighbourhood? For some background information, please click the following to read our policies:     General     Schools