Shoe Collection to Benefit Local Elementary Students

Hoping to collect hundreds of shoes for children at Yorkshire and West Gate elementary schools, the Advanced Placement Government classes of Osbourn Park High School will be sponsoring their fourth annual "Kicks for Kids" shoe drive May 21-30; this year's goal is to collect 652 pairs of shoes.

Shoes ranging from kids size 12 ½ to women’s size 6 are recommended.

Yorkshire and West Gate are both Title I schools. At Yorkshire, 74 percent of students receive free and price-reduced lunch, and 87 percent of students at West Gate receive free or reduced lunch.

According to the National Title I Association, Title I is a program adopted by high-poverty elementary schools to ensure children in their schools have the chance to obtain a high-quality education; the program funnels resources to schools were the needs are the greatest.

“After visiting Yorkshire and talking to Principal Damon Cerrone, I learned how many students had shoes that were too small or large or just worn-out because parents were unable to buy proper shoes. So I decided to raise awareness of it through Kicks for Kids,” said Osbourn Park teacher Christina Ross. "I did it because it’s a valuable way for students to understand the political process and apply concepts to what we are doing now.”

Though last year’s classes collected 326 pairs of shoes, expectations are much higher this year.

Since beginning the shoe fundraiser in 2009, Ross said her classes have doubled the number of shoes they have collected each year.

"So this year, we are hoping to collect 652 pairs of shoes,” she said.

If you are interested in donating a pair of shoes or making a financial contribution, contact Christina Ross at (703)365-6500 or by email at rosscd@pwcs.edu.