Soles for Souls raises awareness

In order to save someone’s life, you need a red cape like Super Man, a doctorate degree in cardiology, or an old pair of shoes.

Sanders County Tobacco Control and Prevention Specialist Jan Parmelee hopes to save 1,400 souls this year by collecting 1,400 pairs of used soles to educate people about the health risks associated with tobacco use.

Each pair of shoes represents one tobacco related death that occurs in Montana every year. Each shoe will wear a tag containing a personalize message and will become part of a traveling display.

Although shoes of all shapes and sizes are welcome, Parmelee is targeting those people who carry the burden to make sure that no more lives are wasted.

“My target is to collect these from our decision makers and community leaders,” Parmelee said. “Normally kids are doing this kind of thing, but we’re out collecting them.”

Parmelee hopes the statement made by who the shoes come from will be as effective as where they’re presented as she plans on bringing her newly acquired footwear to the state capitol on March 8 2011.

“We just started [collecting shoes]. I have unitl the end of January to collect mine in Sanders County, and I’ll be sending them to Helena. From Helena, Montana Youth Prevention will take them all and put them in the cabinet,” Parmelee said.

In fact, 100 members of React Against Corporate Tobacco (REACT), Montana’s state-wide youth program to education children against the use of tobacco, will accompany the shoes on their journey to Helena while the legislature is in session.

Although the date is yet uncertain Parmelee added that the display will be coming through Sanders County as well.

After their circuit is complete the shoes will be donated to Souls4Souls, a non-profit organization that distributes shoes free of charge to people in the United States and world-wide.

Anyone wishing to donate a pair of new or gently-used shoes can contact the Sanders County Tobacco Prevention Program at 827-6900.