FORT LAUDERDALE \u2014 Hundreds of students streamed through the cafeteria of Thurgood Marshall Elementary School on Thursday, showing off new kicks, books, and bright smiles.<\/p>\n
Through the 4EveryKid initiative, the national nonprofit Soles4Souls and Rick Case Automotive Group partnered to provide brand-name sneakers and books to all 360 of the school\u2019s students, according to Principal Angeline Flowers.<\/p>\n
Soles4Souls and Rick Case regularly sponsor initiatives to help housing-insecure children in South Florida, and each year, one Broward school receives an all-school giveaway. Rick Case president and CEO Rita Case said that quality shoes allow children to more confidently participate in school and extracurriculars.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I see these kids give me the hugs and the smiles and the excitement of a brand new pair \u2014 these are amazing shoes \u2014 I know that they\u2019re so happy,\u201d Case said. \u201cAnd to me, it\u2019s the foundation of the fact that all of the research says they\u2019re going to do better in school with well-fitting shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around 60 volunteers, who represented several donor organizations in South Florida, fitted students for their new sneakers inside the cafeteria, where they received the shoes they picked out for themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really like the shoes that I got,\u201d said one fifth-grader, who selected a pair of red and black Shaqs. \u201cI feel good about it. It\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Tiffany Turner, vice president of outreach at Soles4Souls, said that the organization partners with Broward Schools\u2019 Family and Children Engagement program to identify one school with a high-needs student population for the yearly giveaway.<\/p>\n