Exemplifying that no heart is too small to make a difference when opened, Warren-Walker School students recently raised more than $1,200 toward 52 pairs of brand-new athletic shoes and socks for low-income students at Knox Elementary School.
In association with the nonprofit organization Shoes That Fit, students in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade conducted their fund-raising efforts, not by collecting handouts but by using their own elbow grease in a number of different activities and chores, according to Caroline Fisk, director of admissions and community relations for Warren-Walker School.
“This time, we asked them to do things on their own ” chores around the house or tap into their piggy banks to raise the funds for this program,” Fisk said. “We were aiming for $1,000, but it [ended up being] more than that.”
Fisk said that after the funds were collected, a group of parents went out and purchased the athletic shoes and about three to six new pairs of socks for each Knox Elementary student recipient. Warren-Walker students presented the new shoes and socks to the beneficiaries during a ceremony Friday, May 16 at Knox, according to Fisk.
Founded in 1992, Shoes That Fit is a Southern California-based nonprofit charity that runs programs in hundreds of schools across the United States, according to its Web site, www.shoesthatfit.org.
“We help children in need by providing them with new shoes and clothes so that they can attend school in comfort and with dignity. New clothing items that are appropriate for school help these children fit in, allowing them to concentrate on their studies rather than their circumstances,” according to the mission statement on the Web site.
Fisk said parent volunteer Glen Sullivan was responsible for spearheading the coordination of this community service project in association with Shoes That Fit.
“He brought the idea to the table and got our children involved,” Fisk said.
Fisk said that most of the funds were received in $1 and $5 denominations, with each student averaging around $5. Two students, 4th-grader Teddy Sullivan and 3rd-grader Nick Hubachek, took their altruism to an all-time high, hosting a lemonade stand during Easter break on Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach, selling lemonade to local surfers to raise funds for the program, according to Fisk. A recent bake sale put on at the Warren-Walker School’s Family Day Picnic also netted $186 for the fundraising efforts.
A 4th-grade class managed to raise the most money, with $106, followed closely by a 5th-grade class, with $102.
As for why Warren-Walker officials and students chose to commit the fundraising program, Fisk explained, “We have a character education program where we teach them about values and virtues, and I think that their acts of kindness represents all they’ve learned from that and their parents.”
In another recent show of goodwill, Warren-Walker students were named first in fundraising for San Diego County during last month’s Jump Rope for Heart Campaign, which raised more than $20,000 for the American Heart Association.
One student in particular, kindergartner Jaya Travis, raised more than $1,000, according to Fisk. Warren-Walker students ranked 12th in the nation for school fund-raising last year for the American Heart Association, according to Fisk.
