Duke Athletics is leaning into a familiar idea with a useful twist: the gear you no longer need can still do plenty of work.
Through the Devils Doing Good Gear Drive, the Blue Devils are collecting new and gently used athletic apparel, footwear, bags and sports equipment for local youth athletes and community organizations across Durham and the Triangle. The drive is built around a simple message - donate what’s sitting unused, keep it in circulation, and keep it out of the landfill.
The list of acceptable items is broad. Duke is taking athletic shoes and cleats, athletic apparel and team gear, sports equipment, backpacks and athletic bags, plus training and fitness equipment. The only catch is that everything needs to be clean and in usable condition.
Several collection events are built into Duke’s fall schedule. On Friday, October 30, donations will be accepted at Cameron Indoor Stadium during Duke Volleyball vs.
Boston College, with the collection spot in the Rubenstein Lobby. That same day, fans at Duke Field Hockey vs.
UNC can drop items off at Jack Katz Stadium near the venue entrance.
The drive rolls into football on Saturday, October 31, when Duke hosts Boston College. Before kickoff, fans can stop by the Duke Athletics Sustainability Tailgate in the Card Parking Lot, where the collection site will also be set up. That tailgate will include food, music, activities, giveaways and chances to connect with Duke’s campus sustainability partners.
The momentum continues into November. On Tuesday, November 3, Duke Women’s Basketball vs. UW-Green Bay will feature a “Tip Off the Season by Giving Back” collection at Tribull Plaza.
Then on Thursday, November 5, Duke Men’s Basketball vs. Coastal Carolina brings a broader version of the effort to K-Ville.
In addition to athletic apparel, shoes, bags and sports equipment, fans are also being asked to bring old electronics. Triangle E-Cycling will be on site to show how items like phones, chargers, laptops and tablets can be responsibly recycled instead of tossed.
Duke is framing it as another way to give materials a second life.
Women’s soccer will also be part of the effort when Duke hosts Virginia. For that match, the theme ties directly to Cancer Awareness Night, with Duke Athletics teaming up with Say the Thing for a pop-up centered on personal expression and positive impact.
Fans can get a custom screen-printed design inspired by resilience, hope, awareness and the natural beauty of the local environment. Shirts will be available while supplies last, and fans may also bring their own shirt to be printed.
The collection site for that event will be at the Skandalaris Entrance.
The program has already built a track record since launching in 2023 through Duke student-athletes. Duke says the Devils Doing Good Gear Drive has collected and recirculated more than 2,000 items, helping athletic gear and other materials find new homes instead of heading straight to the trash.
The initiative’s reach is wide, with previous donation recipients including Nike Grind, Durham Rescue Mission, Fleet Feet Durham, DukeEngage Panama, Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties, and Rogers-Herr Middle School. Duke says the drive works through partnerships with local nonprofits, schools, community organizations and recycling programs to send donated items where they can be used again.
For Duke, it’s more than a cleanup effort. The point is to turn one person’s unused gear into someone else’s opportunity.
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