STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — What started as a simple request for help turned into a day of joy for hundreds of children at PS 74 in Tompkinsville.
On Tuesday, every student — roughly 250 in all — walked away with a brand-new pair of sneakers, thanks to the generosity of a Staten Island teen.
Carolyn Mian, a special education teacher at the school, reached out to Rami Rifi, a junior at Staten Island Academy and the founder of the Play Passion Project, to see if he could assist students. Rifi didn’t hesitate. Through his charity, which focuses on donating sneakers to children, he made sure no child was left out.
“It’s about more than just the sneakers,” Rifi said. “It’s about giving back.”
The impact was clear in the smiles of the students — and on Rifi’s face — as he handed out each pair.
His mother wasn’t surprised.
“Rami has always been like this,” she said. “He would give away his snack to someone who forgot theirs at school. We preach kindness at home, but Rami goes way beyond.”
Spring cleaning turns into global movement
The inspiration for Rifi’s charity came during his own spring cleaning in January, when he realized he was about to discard more than 25 pairs of shoes.
Struggling with the thought of throwing them away, he looked into donation options and was shocked to find very few places willing to accept shoes.
Realizing the potential impact of providing shoes — something many take for granted — he conceived the idea of starting one of the first nonprofit organizations in Staten Island focused solely on collecting shoes for families around the world.