USAgain (pronounced "use-again") is a for-profit company that collects unwanted textiles and resells them in the U.S. and abroad, effectively diverting millions of pounds of clothing from landfills, generating new revenue streams for U.S. businesses and non-profits, and fueling local economies in emerging countries.
The shoe drive is part of a league-wide community serivce competition among Big Sky Conference schools. The student-athletes will be present at the following events to take donations:
February 2
Men's Basketball vs. Idaho State (2 p.m.)
Men's Hockey vs. Wisconsin (7:07 p.m.)
February 8
UND Fan Luncheon at the Alerus Center (noon)
February 9
Women's Basketball vs. Montana (2 p.m.)
Women's Hockey vs. Bemidji State (7 p.m.)
February 15
UND Fan Luncheon at the Alerus Center (noon)
February 16
Frozen Feat - Race starts at 10 a.m. from Central High School
There will also be drop-off locations on the UND campus at the Hyslop Sports Center, Wilkerson Dining Center, Squires Dining Center, and the Student Wellness Center.
SAAC Vice-President Katie Houdek encourages the Grand Forks Community to take part in the shoe drive.
"There are people around the area who don't have shoes, let alone have access to shoes, so any and all shoes are welcome," Houdek said. "This shoe drive will help connect our SAAC to the city of Grand Forks. Our community does such a great job of supporting our athletes, and this is a great way for us to share a common cause and to give back to the community."
UND Athletics has already benefited greatly this year from the generous support of the Grand Forks community. In November, UND student-athletes collected more than 2,500 food items that were donated to area familes for Thanksgiving food baskets, while an October t-shirt drive netted more than 1,000 t-shirts for the Community Violence Intervention Center (CVIC).
