South Whidbey showed its “sole” to help others, donating nearly a half-ton of shoes to send to Africa, twice as many as expected.

“People looked in their closets, found more shoes than they needed, and felt like sharing,” Lynn Willeford said Monday.

“All the shoes are being used,” she said. “We found a home for all of them.”

A two-week drive on the South End to collect “gently used” shoes and sandals to ship to Senegal netted more than 1,000 pairs, Willeford said.

The drive was organized by Willeford’s husband, Blake, and Kelly Henriot, president of Langley Middle School’s PTA. Both are avid runners who had lots of extra pairs of shoes lying around. From there, the project was born.

Collection barrels were placed at area schools, FamilyCare Fitness Center and Island Athletic Club in Freeland. Island Athletic collected about half of the shoes donated, Willeford said.

Organizers urged donors to place a dollar bill in one toe of each pair of shoes, to help pay for shipping to Senegal. About $475 was collected, she said.

With the help of U-Haul dealer Angus MacDonald at the Tartan Thistle in Freeland, who offered a discount on boxes, 750 pairs of used but wearable athletic shoes were shipped to Georgia, to be forwarded to Africa, Willeford said.

The rest of the shoes, including office loafers and pumps unsuitable for use in rural Africa, were donated to Good Cheer Thrift Stores.

Even most of the shoes that were worse for wear will be made serviceable again and distributed by Good Cheer, Willeford said.

The nonprofit YES, Inc.’s Shoes for Africa program receives donated footwear and distributes it village-by-village to those in need.

Shoes and sandals are vital in Africa to reduce incidents of trauma, hookworm and parasites that enter the bare foot.

Foot infections also can cause problems for sufferers of diabetes and the cancer Kaposi’s sarcoma, widespread in Africa.

Foot injuries can keep adults from going to work, and children from going to school.

“Kids there don’t hop on the school bus,” Willeford said. “They often walk miles to school. If they get an infection, they can’t go.”

The Willefords, owners of the Clyde Theatre in downtown Langley, have other charitable irons in the fire. They’re currently collecting donations in the theater’s Magic Change Jar, which they and other South End business owners have pledged to match.

“We have a new slogan at the Clyde,” Lynn Willeford said. “It doesn’t cost much to get in, but thanks to our charities, it costs a lot to get out.”

For more information about the Shoes for Africa program, visit the Web site www.yesshoesinc.org.