Fresh off a loss in the Big Ten Tournament and awaiting an NCAA Tournament appearance at the Pepperdine regional, Northwestern’s Women’s Tennis has also made strides off the court, wrapping up its annual charity shoe drive.
The Wildcats collected a variety of shoes in good condition to donate to an organization called Soles4Souls, which donates shoes to individuals living in poverty.
“We wanted to maximize how many shoes were able to donate for Soles4Souls and make a meaningful contribution to their organization,” team manager and McCormick sophomore Maya Solomon said.
The team advertised its drive through flyers and newsletters and recently held a collection event during the lacrosse team’s 19-10 victory over Ohio State on April 13.
Solomon said the success of the team’s outreach surprised her. At times, the boxes stationed at the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion overflowed with shoes.
“It’s been really cool to see how big of an impact we’re able to make,” Solomon said.
NU Athletics Assistant Director of Community Relations Rebekah Sigman worked closely with Solomon throughout the process. Sigman said this is the first year the drive was expanded to the Evanston community.
The team placed boxes at a local YMCA and advertised the drive through flyers.
“It helps strengthen those partner relationships, but also strengthens the work that the tennis team is wanting to do,” Sigman said.
Throughout the drive, which began March 27, Sigman said the team carried out three shoe pickups. Sigman said she expects to do one more before the drive comes to a close.
The team collected about 25 large trash bags of shoes, Sigman estimated.
“It’s great because it’s something that the team cares about,” Sigman said. “It’s a collective passion that they have decided that they’re going to focus on every year. It shows consistency and passion beyond the sport (from) the team.”
Kellogg student and tennis player Justine Leong has played a role in the drive through setting up donation boxes and collecting shoes.
Leong said the team’s cohesion helped fuel the drive’s success.
“I feel inspired,” Leong said. “We’re more than just a tennis team, we’re giving back to the community. We’re doing something more than just playing tennis, we’re helping other people.”
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