DALLAS—A truck load of 17,377 pairs of new shoes, collected and donated by Missouri Rotary District 6040 arrived at the Buckner International Humanitarian Aid Center Tuesday morning.

“Their donation means that more than 17,000 children in need will receive shoes and be able to go to school. Wherever they walk, their feet will be protected from disease and injury,” Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls Director Rachel Wallis said. “They’ll know that they are valued and loved.”

The three-day, 19-stop Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign wrapped up April in St. Joseph, Mo.

“There’s kind of a natural passion that Rotarians and members of rotary clubs have to serve internationally and this project I think speaks to them when they think about something as basic as a new pair of shoes,” Missouri Rotarian, Larry Lunsford said.

The northern Missouri Rotary district has partnered with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls every year for the last 15 years. This year’s donation put the 15-year total at 287,905 shoes which will be distributed in to vulnerable children in more than 80 different countries. In addition to the shoes collected, the Rotary raised a donation exceeding $10,000.  In the last 15 years, the Rotary has raised and donated $127,301 for Buckner International’s global humanitarian aid projects.