TODAY'S NEWS
Peter Wajda of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, helped collect 509 shoes.
(By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
|
D.C.'s Shoe-In For a World Record
· Exactly 10,512 used sneakers lined up in National Geographic's large outdoor plaza in the District officially earned entry yesterday to the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest shoe chain. And now they are headed to a more useful fate than most old shoes have.
The sneakers, which would measure nearly 1.65 miles if placed end to end, were collected by National Geographic Kids magazine. Shoes came from kids, schools and clubs; one pair came from actress Cameron Diaz.
"It gives kids the message that you can save the world one stinking shoe at a time," said magazine editor Melina Bellows.
The sneakers are being sent to Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program, which turns them into basketball courts and other sports surfaces.
Rosie Edelson, 9, of the District, came to see the sneakers with her brother Will, 8.
"Maybe people will be playing one day on their own shoes," Rosie said. Added Will, "I like this because instead of throwing things away, we should recycle."
-- Valerie Strauss
