Drive to Donate 5000 Pairs of Shoes to Kokoda

Spectran Group have joined forces for the second year in a row in 2022 with Think Big Run the Bridge and Epic Events and Marketing. Supported by PS Fitness and No Roads Expeditions, this year’s Run theBridge event will be utilised to collect and deliver much needed shoes to remote communities living along the Kokoda Trail and residents of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, in Shoes 4 Kokoda.  

Peter Miller, the Managing Director of No Roads Expeditions is grateful for the shoe drive.

“Many of our team and other PNG guides have done it really tough over the last two years with no income at all other than some donations from ourselves and guests along the way.

Our managers will collect the shoes and distribute them in the community in Port Moresby and along the KokodaTrack. This will bring a much-needed smile to the people here. And hopefully, some of your community may be inspired to visit the Kokoda Track and the peopleShoes 4 Kokoda have helped.”

Race Director Richard Welsh is equally as excited for the initiative.

“For the last couple of years, running shoes have become super trendy and as a result we are in a society nowwhere we get them a little bit dirty and they are no good to us. Well, now we can send them off to a new home and give them a second life!”.

Mr Welsh is ecstatic to be partnering up with the Spectran Group.

“It really is the perfect partnership for us! We are working with other Tasmanian businesses to export these shoes toKokoda, a place that really means a lot to Australians. Everybody who donates will know that they are going to a place that’s in great need”.

Shoes can be dropped into the Spectran Group bin at Princes Wharf 1, on Castray Esplanade at the Think BigRun The Bridge bib collection. The team will be on site on Friday the 25th of February from 12:30-5:30pm and Saturday 26th February from10am-3pm.

Some guidelines for acceptable shoe donations:

1.    Running/sports shoes only

2.    No holes(make sure there is still life in them for someone else!)

3.    Soles of shoes in tact

4.    Clean (hand wash or pop them through the washing machine before donating please!)

5.    Tie together in matching pairs

6.    Shoe laces and inner soles included

7.    Adults and kids sizes both accepted

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