The Running Exchange Reaches out to Africa

Sam Spencer
Feature Story
    Imagine a little boy in Kenya running through his village as fast as he can. His face radiates of joy and pure excitement. This boy does not have much in life, but he just received a new pair of shoes from the Running Exchange. Not a bad day for the little boy.
    The Running Exchange, a nonprofit program founded by Tim Johnson, a junior at Stonehill College, collects new and used shoes and donates them to those most in need.
    Johnson will take anyone’s shoes, whether they are brand new running shoes, casual walking shoes, or shoes that have holes in them. He donates running shoes in decent condition to Kenya, and recycles shoes that are too worn down for use. He sends casual shoes that are good condition, but not suitable for strenuous activity to various charities throughout the United States.
   It was this hoarding instinct that initially compelled Johnson to start The Running Exchange. After Johnson’s freshman year, his roommate had a pair of running shoes that he wanted to get rid of. Johnson took them without a plan.
    By chance, he met Greg Snell, a missionary priest from Indiana who trains priests in Naivishi, Kenya. Snell is affiliated with The First Congregational Church of Thomaston, Johnson’s church. Now he knew what he wanted to do with his roommate’s shoes.
    Johnson emailed Snell, and asked him if he could distribute a large donation of running shoes to people in need. Snell was more than willing to help, and happens to be good friends with Paul Tergat, one of the greatest Kenya distance runners of all time. Snell agreed to send Johnson’s shoes to the Paul Tergat Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.
    So far, The Running Exchange has donated over 60 pairs of running shoes to small villages in Kenya through the Paul Tergat Foundation. Johnson plans on sending 60 to 70 pairs every semester. He is on the track and field team at Stonehill, and reaches out to his teammates, friends, and relatives to donate. He has even set up a Facebook page and made business cards for the Running Exchange.
    Those close to Johnson agree that he does a great job reaching out. “Tim has really used his resources well. His work with SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise), Twitter, Facebook, and other running groups has allowed him to do the most good possible,” said Lizzie LaRegina, Johnson’s girlfriend.
    “As a runner, I go through four to five pairs of running shoes a year. When I am done with them, they sit in my closet. When I heard Tim started the Running Exchange, I brought 10 pairs back to school with me after winter break,” said Sean Hanlon, one of Johnson’s close friends and fellow teammate.
    “It would be cool if it could be my job some day,” said Johnson. He wants the Running Exchange to have a presence at marathon and road race finish lines, encouraging athletes to donate their shoes on the spot in exchange for cheap flip flops that they can wear in the meantime.
    Johnson keeps an open mind when considering the Running Exchange’s future. He plans on visiting Kenya to see for himself what else he can do to help. He understands that there are far greater needs in Africa than having running shoes, and hopes to gain a greater knowledge of those needs and how he can satisfy them through his nonprofit work.