Kleats For Kids is working with Newtown’s youth soccer, lacrosse and baseball programs to collect used cleats to donate to under-resourced youth teams and community programs. These sports programs are hosting their annual tournaments throughout Newtown in mid to late May. There will be collection bins at all of the fields for families to drop by and donate their gently used cleats.

Bins will be set up at Treadwell and Tilson Fields at Treadwell Park for the Newtown Lacrosse Rooster Rumble Tournament May 18 and 19; at Glander Field for the Newtown Baseball Fan Fest May 19; Newtown High School back fields for the CONNY Lacrosse Tournament May 19; and Fairfield Hills, Reed School, NHS back fields, and Treadwell Park for the Newtown Soccer Association’s Memorial Day Tournament May 25-27.

In 2021, Marc Maurath started Newtown’s Kleats For Kids to collect gently-used cleats from our high school and youth sports teams and donate them to programs that could use them for their players. Maurath has collected nearly 800 pairs for soccer, baseball, football, and lacrosse. He works with a national nonprofit in Baltimore called Leveling The Playing Field, which distributes cleats to children in need.

Maurath hopes to reach 1,000 pairs of collected cleats by the end of May. A collection bin is also set up at NYA Sports & Fitness throughout the month.