Recycle workout shoes at Okeeheelee Park

Shoes for the Cure container sits inside the Okeeheelee Nature Center.

The Okeeheelee Nature Center has bins to recycle plastics, paper, glasses and ... shoes. Yes, shoes!

I was shocked to see the Shoes for the Cure container, next to the pamphlets describing various nature activities at the suburban West Palm Beach park and elsewhere in the county.



Okeeheelee Naturalist Kelli Dorschel says the park first got the bin in the fall of 2009. "They contacted us and it fit in with our theme of recycling," she says. "After so many pounds, they give us $10, which we use for our programs."

The county is trying to reduce the number of shoes that go into a landfill. Donated shoes will be cleaned and refurbished to be sold in thrift shops primarily overseas, or will be processed into rubberized athletic surfaces.

Snakes displayed at Okeeheelee Nature Center.

Shoes for the Cure, based in Boca Raton, has containers at two other nature centers (Daggerwing in suburban Boca Raton and Green Cay in western Boynton Beach) in Palm Beach County parks, along with select public schools throughout Florida.

I like the idea of old sneakers not taking up space in a landfill and perhaps becoming the next athletic mat.

Next time, I won't toss my sneakers in the garbage. I will put them in a bag and leave them in my car for the next trip to Okeeheelee. I hope you will do the same.

And now, for my numbers

I've been busy, on the committee organizing the ALS Walk on March 22 in Okeeheelee Park, so I have two weeks worth of numbers to report.

For the week ending Saturday, March 1, 2014, I had my best walking day on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 when I walked:

Steps: 11,639

Miles: 5.8

For the week ending Saturday, March 8, 2014, I had my best walking day on Friday, March 7, 2014 when I walked: 

Steps: 15,938

Miles: 8.0