FROM THE CLINTON COUNTY LEADER: The Plattsburg Rotary Club donated 97 pairs of new shoes and 84 pairs of socks for Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls during the recent Rotary District 6040 “Shoes Caravan.” The Plattsburg High School Interact Club, which is affiliated with the Rotary, gave 25 pairs of new shoes.

In partnership with the other 56 Rotary Clubs in Missouri Rotary District 6040, a total of 17,500 pairs of shoes, 1,017 pairs of socks and nearly $8,400 were collected for vulnerable children and orphans in the United States and Peru.

Missouri Rotary, including the Plattsburg Rotary Club, remains the largest single contributing organization to the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign to date, collecting a total of 270,000 pairs of shoes and $116,000 in cash since the first shoe drive in 2001.

Scott Collins, a representative of Buckner’s Shoes for Orphan Souls program, said Buckner is “extremely grateful” for the shoe donation this year, as well as for all of the donations they have received from Rotary District 6040 in the past.

“Rotary’s consistency over 14 years has allowed us to send more shoes to children around the world, and ultimately, opened the door for us to share love and care with more children who otherwise wouldn’t receive it,” he said.

“No other organization has had the willpower and vision to involve so many people to make a difference as Rotary has.”

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service and help build goodwill and peace throughout the world. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in nearly 170 countries.