NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. – The New Hartford Rotary Club is collecting shoes to help build the economies of developing countries.

The shoes will be sent to Funds2Org in Florida, a group that take the lightly-worn shoes and send them to start-up businesses in countries like Haiti and Ghana.

The New Hartford Rotary will receive 40 cents for each pair of shoes.

“They start off with about 250 pairs of shoes that are donated to them with the idea that they could set up a small business,” said Edward Gallacher, president of the New Hartford Rotary. “Then as they prosper with it and reorder - then they do pay some amount for the shoes - but it actually helps the small communities in these third world countries grow economically.”

Shoe donations should be placed in trash bags, and can be dropped off at the following locations:

• The Chowder House, 57 Burrstone Road in New York Mills
• C. Lewis Tomaselli Architects, 1482 Genesee St. in Utica
• Sauquoit Valley High School, 2607 Oneida St. in Sauquoit
• Clayville Library, 2265 Oneida Street in Clayville

Pick-ups can also be arranged by calling Gallacher at 315-733-9310.