Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) announced he is once again participating in the annual “Tithe My Shoes” drive, a regional effort to collect new or gently-used shoes and boots for the Rescue Mission. This year, the drive also aims to collect new shoes for children, and all sizes are welcomed.

“Tithe My Shoes” is spearheaded by former Mayor of Central Square and Executive Director of the Oswego County Conference of Mayors Millard “Mudd” Murphy.

“I’m thrilled to team up with Mudd for the eighth annual ‘Tithe My Shoes’ drive,” said Leader Barclay. “This shoe drive fills a real need in the surrounding communities. Every year, people donate hundreds of pairs of shoes to this cause, and their commitment to giving back to help others is remarkable. This year, I am confident that by working together we will collect just as many pairs of shoes and boots as we have in previous years.”

“I’m proud to partner with Leader Barclay’s and Mayor Barlow’s offices on this annual effort. We have some very generous people in the community, and if we can collect more shoes, especially for kids this year, it’ll help families in need. People are amazing and I hope together, we can help to make the holidays a little brighter this year, again, for more people,” said Murphy.

Below is a list of drop off sites:

• Leader Barclay’s Assembly District Office, 19 Canalview Mall, Fulton, NY 13069
• City Hall, City of Oswego, 13 West Oneida St., Oswego, NY 13126
• Central Square Community Church, 833 U.S. Rt. 11, Central Square, NY 13036 –Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Shoes will be collected until Dec. 10 to allow enough time for cleaning and repairs. Murphy partners with Ralph Rotella, owner of Discount Shoe Repair in Syracuse, who donates his time to clean and fix the shoes before delivering to the Rescue Mission in time for the holidays.

For questions or more information about this initiative, please contact Mudd Murphy at 315-952-2828 or murf@besttractor.com, or call Leader Barclay’s office at 315-598-5185.