Newtown High School sophomore Marc Maurath started Newtown’s Kleats For Kids last year with the goal of collecting and donating 1,000 pairs of gently used cleats to under-resourced youth sports teams and community programs.

Last year, he collected 150-plus pairs of used cleats from Newtown’s youth and high school athletes by setting up donation days at practices and games. The program received most of the donations from the Newtown Soccer Club, Newtown Youth Lacrosse, and Newtown Youth Football.

“Like most sports families, we always had tons of cleats in our basement that my brother and I had outgrown. I knew that most of my friends also had old cleats that they couldn’t wear anymore and knew there must be a need for them. On a trip to Baltimore to visit my older brother, I found out about “Leveling the Playing Field,” which is a national nonprofit that distributes used sports equipment to teams and kids that need it,” Maurath said.

The goal this year is to reach 300 cleat donations. “To do that, I’ve been setting up donation bins at local sports tournaments, trying to gain more visibility and spreading the word about what we’re doing. Last weekend I collected at Newtown Youth Lacrosse’s Rooster Rumble with 27 teams.

Kleats for Kids was at the Newtown Soccer Club’s Memorial Day Soccer Tournament, hopes to be at Newtown Youth Football again this August and is looking to connect with more youth teams in Newtown and possibly some of our neighboring towns, said Maurath, who is also hoping to connect with some of the high school teams and ask them to collect cleat donations at their end of year banquets.

“We are always looking for new donations. This is a great way to help other sports programs and athletes in need," Maurath said.

There are donation bins set up at NYA Sports & Fitness, 4 Primrose Street.