Private Christian School located in Northern New Jersey | Call 973-427-6244
A pair of used shoes by themselves in a closet may be junk. But put them with 15,000 other pairs and the scene becomes a haunting metaphor of human lives lost. Eastern Christian High School joined with over 30 churches and 20 other schools in the region to collect used shoes for a public display to bring attention to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Led by the sophomore class council and members of the National Honor Society, the school collected about 850 pairs of shoes in two weeks.
The display, shown on Sunday, November 15, in the Westfield Garden State Plaza parking lot, was organized by Rev. Ken Vander Wall, campus pastor at William Paterson University. After participating in a similar project at the National Mall in Washington DC, Rev. Vander Wall was moved and felt that the students and churches of north Jersey would also be interested in raising awareness of the Sudanese genocide. The U.N. estimates that 300,000 people have been killed in fighting there since violence began in 2003.
On Thursday, November 12, students at ECHS held their own display, putting their collected shoes in the hallways throughout the high school. Between classes, the school witnessed a path of empty shoes that was a stark reminder of the human cost of war. History teacher, Mr. Paul Beverly, who helped students run the project, said that many students were moved by the display. "They told me the little kids' shoes really moved them, as they realized this tragedy affected people of all ages," he said.
Due to rain, plans to join together with Manchester Regional High School in Haledon, creating a display of shoes reaching from one school to the other along the street that fronts both schools, had to be cancelled. However, the students who planned the event worked closely with students from Manchester, something that has never happened before. "Manchester and EC are usually big competitors, so it was great to work with them," said senior Jamie Van Buiten, one of the student organizers of the event. "Even though we didn't get to do our project, we still met with them and worked together with them on Sunday."
On Sunday, students brought their shoes to the Garden State Plaza, and set them up with the 15,000 pairs of shoes that were collected throughout the region. After the display, the shoes were donated to the non-profit Soles4Souls in Nashville, which collects shoes for those in need in the U.S. and around the world. Junior Jonathan Snack, another student organizer, said, "It was a project that worked on so many levels. We raised awareness for Darfur, we gave shoes to the homeless, and we formed bonds with Manchester. It was great."
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