Passback

Passback is excited to be part of the 25th Annual Green Living Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden on July 11 from 9 AM–4 PM.

Stop by our booth to:
♻️ Donate your surplus sports equipment
🌎 Learn about the circular economy of sports
⚽ Discover how Passback keeps gear in play and out of landfills
💚 Help create access to sports for local families

If you’ve been meaning to clean out the garage, this is the perfect opportunity to give your old gear a second life.

📍 Missouri Botanical Garden
📅 July 11, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM–4:00 PM

See you there!

The Shoes That Helped Win a State Title:

One coach’s email reminded us why this work at Passback matters. David Custis, Cross Country Coach at Metro Academic and Classical High School, shared several ways donated equipment from Passback directly helped student-athletes across the St. Louis region this season.

Coach David Custis shared:
"I wanted to pass along some ways Passback helped athletes that I know this spring.
-Midway through the season, the coach at Brentwood sent a message asking if I had size 14 triple jump shoes. I indeed did have a pair that we had put into my spike inventory and had taken from Passback when you moved warehouses earlier this year. The athlete in the size 14 shoes won the Class 2 state title in the triple jump. He scored all 38 points at the state meet, where they finished second overall.
-In March, I saw an athlete who runs for Collegiate, who happens to go to CVPA, running in his bare feet. Because of the shoes we received from Passback, I was able to get him in shoes that fit and that he wore for the rest of the season at practice and in meets.
-I was also able to help two other Collegiate/CVPA athletes by getting them spikes instead of them racing in non-racing shoes. One of them was in basketball shoes.
-Lastly, we were able to use the towels donated by BodyArmor as our iced towels, and they were incredibly helpful in keeping our athletes cool at the District, Sectional, and State meets."

To Coach Custis and the many coaches who help us get equipment into the hands of young athletes: thank you. To the athletes putting in the hard work every day: keep going - you're doing AMAZING. And to everyone who donates gear through Passback: this is your impact.

Systems change is a team sport.

Passback is excited and very grateful to be an awardee for a grant from The Saigh Foundation!

“The Saigh Foundation works to enhance the quality of life for children and youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area by supporting educational and health-related charitable institutions and organizations. Established in 2000, the Foundation continues the philanthropic legacy of Fred Saigh, a St. Louis lawyer, businessman, real estate investor and owner of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team from 1947-1953.”

With their support, hundreds more kids on our waiting list in St. Louis will be equipped with the sports gear they need to play!

Special thanks to Julie Hantman for the application support and kindness!

Systems change is a team sport.

I want to take a moment and thank the AMAZING Passback board members, committee members, employees, and volunteers. As a small yet growing nonprofit, you all are vital to the functioning of this organization, and I am so grateful for your expertise, support and care.

Thank you for helping us create a circular economy for sports gear so every kid can play! ⚽️♻️

With your help, together, since founding 2 fiscal years ago, we have created the following estimated impact:
-$500,000 worth of sports gear given away (In-Kind donations from Passback to other nonprofits serving athletes who need it)
-11+ ton of plastic and metal items recirculated into the economy
-$22M+ in community preventative health care cost savings
-7,000+ kids directly equipped with gear

Please help us to spread the word, donate and share our campaign this year! Link in bio - https://mtyc.co/9uqvjf

Continued thanks to the Circularity Department for their yearly partnership and donation to Passback!

Thanks for helping to create a circular economy for sports gear so every kid can play! Systems change is a team sport.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the awesome work Cassie Hage and her team are doing at the WashU Circularity Center!

Champion highlight 🏆🏆

Huge shout out to Kayla Sellers (and her dad, Chris Sellers) for hosting the most incredible collection drive to help more kids play! In partnership with Mo Rush and the Whitfield School - they collected more than two SUVS worth of some seriously cool stuff.

Not only did Kayla plan, host and organize all this by herself, she went above and beyond and made an impact report. Check it out at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f2da4b51e4e54551875a40541bb9c4df

Passback was honored to be a part of Principia’s Impact Challenge.

Not only was founder, , invited to be a sustainability expert and mpresent on the circular economy, but an amazing student team led a collection drive and presented on their efforts as well!

These young athletes collected 66 items, an estimated fair market value of $1,438, helping more kids could play and reintegrating more than 36 Kilograms of plastic and metal items back into the economy!

Thank you Lynne Scott and the !!