Running Moms of Tampa strive to keep shoes out of landfills and on the feet of those who need them most

, a local running group, are encouraging team members to donate their used running shoes to Soles4Souls. The gesture counts as a “double-whammy” in keeping shoes out of landfills and providing shoes to the less fortunate.

Running Moms of Tampa was established in 2010 by Christy Royer in an effort to become a healthier mom. The support group exists to educate and motivate moms throughout the Tampa metropolitan area. Running Moms are currently growing at a rate of about 10% every week.

Soles4Souls in a non-profit organization that was founded by Wayne Elsey in 2004 in order to help those affected by the tsunami that obliterated Indonesian coast lines but soon extended to hurricane victims closer to home. The group gives the donated shoes out to people who have lost everything, and has given over 7 million pairs to people in 125 countries.

This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2010.