Kids at Tarentorus collect 2,000 pairs of shoes for charity (5 photos)

Grade one and two students at Tarentorus Public School have collected over 2,000 pairs of shoes in order to help others in need.

The shoes - enough to circle the perimeter of the school one-and-a-half times - are on their way to the Bioped distribution centre in Mississauga, and will then in turn be delivered to third world countries.

“I heard about the ad on Bioped, with the children growing out of their shoes so fast, we talked about [how] maybe we can give shoes to kids that need it,” grade 1/2 teacher Maria Dalton said.

Bioped - a nationwide foot care and orthotics company - collects donated shoes at 75 locations across Canada.

Dalton says the idea stemmed from a conversation surrounding recycling and reducing ones environmental footprint that she had with her students at Tarentorus during Earth Day activities.

After speaking with Bioped, the company provided boxes for the shoes.

The class had originally set a goal of acquiring 200 pairs of shoes over a two week period. The children in her class reached their goal in just two days.

On Thursday, Tarentorus Public School sent 2,007 pairs of donated shoes to Bioped.

The company also works closely with the Soles4Souls organization and its Wear Out Poverty campaign in order to bring shoes to places like Haiti, where the need for footwear is great.

Dalton says that the donated shoes are also used for their recycled materials, such as textiles and rubber.

“We have to think outside of our own box here, and that’s what I hope the kids take out of it,” Dalton said.