TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona Department of Athletics will host its third annual Juneteenth Shoe Drive, in partnership with the Tucson Juneteenth Festival, on Saturday, June 15. The shoe drive is part of the University of Arizona's month-long celebration of Juneteenth on campus.

Arizona Athletics staff and student-athletes will be collecting donations of new or gently used shoes in child and adult sizes from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (MST) at the McKale Center Ticket Office as part of the department's celebration of the Juneteenth Holiday.

Donated shoes will be delivered to those in need at the annual Tucson Juneteenth Festival at the KINO Sports Complex. Over the first two years of the drive, the athletics department has collected over 800 pairs of shoes for community members in need.

ABOUT JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY
The Juneteenth holiday, which falls on June 19, commemorates the arrival of Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed – to announce that enslaved people in Texas were free. The University of Arizona began observing Juneteenth as a paid holiday in 2023.
 
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION ON CAMPUS
The following talks, hosted by the university's Office of Black Advancement and Engagement, will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays throughout June and are free and open to the public. 

• June 11: "Beyond Juneteenth: Why Everyone Can Celebrate" | Tani Sanchez, Professor of Practice, Department of Africana Studies
• June 18: "History of Juneteenth – Historical Context" | Johnny Bowens, Senior Lecturer, Department of Africana Studies

Each lecture will be held in the Pima Room on level three of the Student Union Memorial Center.

Black history and culture will be celebrated through food at the Juneteenth and Beyond – Culture of Food event on June 25 at 3 p.m. at the Student Union Memorial Center's Cork & Craft restaurant. 
 
The cultural food tasting event will showcase the rich history and flavors of African American cuisine. Tickets are available for purchase online. 
 
Additional Juneteenth information and resources are available at the university's Beyond Juneteenth website.