Kids Recycle Sneakers for a Good Cause

For the past three years, Scarsdale's Leah Glucksman has been collecting gently used sneakers for the Max Cure Foundation and the Dunk Your Kicks campaign. DYK's initiative is intended to raise awareness of the fight against pediatric cancer while also helping the environment by keeping old "kicks" out of landfills. The money raised through the resale of this affordable footwear helps low-income and military families living in the U.S. with a child battling this disease.

Leah is now a senior at Scarsdale High School and is passing the torch of responsibility to her younger brother Dean, a ninth grader as SHS. He enlisted the help of his two friends, Marc Ifrah and Jack McEvoy, to expand the outreach. This year alone, the boys collected 283 pairs of footwear. To accomplish this, they set up drop boxes at local institutions - Barry's Bootcamp, FlyWheel Sports, Ripped Fitness, Westchester Reform Temple, The Jewish Community Center of Harrison and Congregation Kol Ami.

In addition to the sneaker-collection effort, Dean added his own twist to the awareness campaign - the first annual Max Cure Foundation March Madness NCAA basketball bracket. Through this inaugural event, Dean raised $1,200 for the foundation.