LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Students at Hazelwood Elementary in Louisville are standing a little taller after every student received a new pair of shoes thanks, in part, to Samaritan’s Feet International and Republic Airways.
“Everybody needs a new pair of shoes, right?” Alicia Morrow told Spectrum News Friday. Morrow is the regional program manager with Samaritan’s Feet International.
Friday, Feb. 24, Samaritan volunteers put brand new shoes on the feet of over 500 students at Hazelwood.
“So what we do is work with schools that are in poverty. And then also we work with senior centers. We work with homeless shelters. We work with anybody that needs to bring hope into their community,” Morrow explained.
Republic Airways sponsored the shoe event. Samaritan’s Feet reviewed and selected Hazelwood as the school recipient.
Over the course of a few weeks, every student had their shoe size measured.
“This gentleman is working on our girls’ list and then we’re going to our boys,” volunteer Bianca Goodlett said. It was an exciting day for the students, school staff and volunteers.
“I see them running around and wiggling their feet and dancing and things like that. This is a good thing that Samaritan’s Feet is doing to build community and partner with our school system,” Goodlett added.
Any student not present for the giveaway, will have a brand new pair of shoes waiting for them when they return to class.
“They knew that this event was coming. And all week they would see the shoes in the family resource center and they would just say, ‘Are those for us?’ And some of the grins on their faces are just… ones you can never imagine or replace,” building principal Courtney Grace said.