'Christmas Without Cancer' Collecting Used Sneakers For Recycling

Just in time for spring cleaning season, Christmas Without Cancer is once again collecting used gym shoes and sneakers to raise funds for the organization, now through May 6. Drop-off locations are located throughout the southwest side and suburbs of Chicago, with locations being added each day.

Sneakers in gently used new or worn condition in child sizes 4 and above, as well as any adult sizes, or brands are accepted. Every pair donated will be sent to GotSneakers, a sneaker recycling program which provides money for each pair of used shoes, with the goal of keeping sneakers and gym shoes out of landfills, and/or reusing quality pre-loved sneakers for those in need.

Last year, Christmas Without Cancer donated more than 4,200 pairs of gym shoes back to Got Sneakers, raising more than $5,000 for the organization. Several businesses in Orland Park and one in New Lenox are serving as drop spots for the collection.

All reusable sneakers from the company’s sneaker drive fundraiser program are recirculated to secondhand markets so people can access quality, pre-owned footwear at affordable prices. All heavily used and damaged footwear is recycled to reuse materials or to convert waste into new energy.

In the United States, at least 200 million pairs of shoes and sneakers end up in landfills each year. Since sneakers are manufactured with materials that are not biodegradable and produce large amounts of CO2, they remain in landfills or are incinerated, which leads to toxic chemicals in our air and soil. Shoes in landfills can take 30 to 40 years to decompose.

Convenient drop-off locations are currently located at:

• Anytime Fitness, located at 800 W. Laraway Rd. in New Lenox
• UFC, located at 66 Orland Square Dr., Unit C in Orland Park
• F45 Training, located at 15762 S. LaGrange Rd. in Orland Park, (donations accepted April 17th through April 30th)
• Jennifer L. Clancy, Ltd. located at 9651 W. 153rd St., Suite 56 in Orland Park (beginning April 1st)
• BJ McMahon’s, located at 5432 95th St. in Oak Lawn
• The Chicago Fix, 1360 N. Sandburg Terrace, Suite 101 in Chicago; 4801 W. Peterson, Suite 505 in Chicago; 4155 W. 123rd in Alsip
• Chulofit, located at 13411 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights
• Corcoran-O’Sullivan Family, located at 20038 S. Kohlwood Dr. in Mokena
• Evergreen Park Public Library, located at 9400 S. Troy Ave. in Evergreen Park
• F45 Training in Mt. Greenwood, located at 3246 W. 111th St. in Chicago;
• Fefles Family Chiropractic, located at 12505 S. Ridgeland Ave., Suite 2 in Palos Heights
• Frankfort Public Library, located at 21119 S. Pfeiffer Rd
• Impact Physical Therapy, 602 S. Neil St. in Champaign; 777 N. York Rd., Unit 11 in Hinsdale; 3420 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago; 116 W. Gartner Rd., Suite 104 in Naperville; 4746 N. Cumberland Ave. in Chicago; 10401A S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn; 15441 S. 94th Ave. in Orland Park; 1103 S. State St., Suite 300 in Chicago;
• Joliet Park District, located at 3000 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet
• JVB Physical Therapy, located at 3938 W. 111th St., #1D located in Chicago;
• Letz Box, located at 3524 W. 111th St. in Chicago
• Mt. Greenwood Park, located at 3721 W. 111th St. in Chicago
• Oakview, Oak Lawn Park District, located at 4625 W. 110th St. in Oak Lawn
• O’Hara and Friends Salon, located at 7008 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights
• P.D.’s Place, located at 5407 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn
• Southside Knockout, 3504 W. 111th St. in Chicago; 15545 S. 71st Ct. in Orland Park (beginning April 1st)
• Staszewski Family, located at 10901 S. Menard in Chicago Ridge
• Treadfit Frankfort, located at 9975 W. Lincoln Hwy, Ste. 2 in Frankfort
• Worth Township Community Center, located at 11601 S. Pulaski Rd. in Alsip;

More drop-off locations will be listed on christmaswithoutcancer.org, as they are added.

Since 2003, Christmas Without Cancer has aided thousands of people across the Chicagoland area by providing holiday gifts, as well as basic necessities to local families that are stricken with cancer. Founded in 2003 by an oncology nurse, the organization quietly identifies and adopts multiple families throughout the year and supplies them with gift cards for groceries, medications, gas, and other “need” items, as well as help with mortgage payments, rent, tuition and travel related expenses for treatment.

For more information on Christmas Without Cancer, please visit christmaswithoutcancer.org. For more information on GotSneakers, please visit gotsneakers.com