(DALLAS) — Missouri Rotary District 6040 collected 18,000 new pairs of shoes for Buckner International’s Shoes for Orphan Souls, which were delivered by UPS May 2 from the District convention in Excelsior Springs, Mo. to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid.

Rotarians also donated 1,000 pairs of new socks and a check for over $8,000. Since 2001, Missouri Rotary has donated nearly 140,000 pairs of shoes and $50,000 in cash to defray shipping expenses. They remain the single largest single contributing organization to Shoes for Orphan Souls to date.

Rachel Garton, director of Shoes for Orphan Souls, said that 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 year after year 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 children and teach them that they are special,” she said. “No organization has had the willpower and vision to involve so many people to make a difference in the world of little children through shoes.”

“As Rotarians, we want to provide service to our local community and to people in need around the world,” said Larry Lunsford, former district governor known as ‘Shoes Cheerleader’ by many Rotarians. “Donating shoes is so simple, but it makes such a big impact in the lives of needy children.”

UPS partnered with Rotary District 6040 to provide transport trailers to take the shoes to Dallas at no cost.

“UPS encourages its employees to volunteer and give back to the community in which we live,” said Dave Gorman, UPS regional network planning manager. “Since we are a global company, I felt this was a project we could use to not only help our community, but also the children of many nations.”

Since 1999, Shoes for Orphan Souls has delivered more than 1.5 million pairs of shoes and socks to orphan children in more than 55 countries. Shoes for Orphan Souls® is a ministry of Buckner International, a Dallas-based global ministry dedicated to the restoration and healing of orphans and at-risk children, families and senior adults.

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 32,000 Rotary clubs in nearly 170 countries.