CLICK HERE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE
Kicks4Kids began as a project to provide 500 tennis shoes to my own students at Rio Vista Elementary several years ago but it has grown into a program that has now spread across six school districts with over 15,500 pairs (over $385,000 worth) collected and distributed to low-income students. It is the most successful program of its kind.
The program is simple. High school sports teams collect at least one pair of new kid’s tennis shoes (kids sizes 12-6) per athlete and the shoes will be delivered to a low-income school in that school’s feeder pattern or to another school in need. If bigger sizes are collected, then we will find a middle school or high school in need but that is not our primary focus.
Individuals and groups can also contribute, such as the National Elementary Honor Society and Student Council at Painted Sky Elementary. The program collected 200 pairs of shoes (108 this year) and donated an extra $1,000 to the cause last year. The Ironwood Ridge girls volleyball team donated 40 pairs of shoes, the CDO volleyball team and the Tucson girls golf team donated funds, and the CDO football team collected five dozen pairs of shoes and that was matched by the Mountain View wrestling team a couple of days before Christmas.
Also, companies can get involved. For instance, Frog & Firkin collected over $1,000 worth of sneakers last Christmas for Kicks4Kids and the great people over there are doing it once again!
My family used our “stimulus finds” to purchase more pairs of new sneakers and we will once again. Several families have also dropped off shoes at my home.
In addition, all profits from high school team photos and senior photos go towards this program. The shoe bank is located at Rio Vista Elementary. Kicks4Kids is a non-profit entity.
Schools in Kicks4Kids Program
Rio Vista Elementary (Amphi)
Holaway Elementary (Amphi)
Imagine Amphi Preschool (Amphi)
Keeling Elementary (Amphi)
Coronado K-8 (Amphi)
Roskruge K-8 (TUSD)
Nash Elementary (Amphi)
Prince Elementary (Amphi)
Walker Elementary (Amphi)
Carillo K-5 (TUSD)
Marshall Elementary (TUSD)
Mexicayotl Academy of Tucson (TUSD)
Homer Davis Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Hendricks Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Hollinger K-8 (TUSD)
Donaldson Elementary (Amphi)
Butterfield Elementary (Marana)
Laguna Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Walter Douglas Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Doolen Middle School (TUSD)
Casa de los Ninos (Program)
Miles Elementary (TUSD)
Manzo Elementary (TUSD)
Davis Elementary (TUSD)
Centennial Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Richardson Elementary (Flowing Wells)
C.E. Rose Elementary (TUSD)
Mission View Elementary (TUSD)
Lynn/Urquides Elementary (TUSD)
Ochoa Elementary (TUSD)
Sunnyside High School
Blenman Elementary (TUSD)
Borton Elementary (TUSD)
Holladay Elementary (TUSD)
Cavett Elementary (TUSD)
Roberts/Naylor K-8 (TUSD)
Lineweaver Elementary (TUSD)
Booth-Fickett Elementary (TUSD)
Cragin Elementary (TUSD)
Santa Clara Elementary (Sunnyside)
Liberty Elementary (Sunnyside)
Elvira Elementary (Sunnyside)
Mission Manor Elementary (Sunnyside)
Quail Run (Marana)
Pistor Middle Scholl (TUSD)
White Elementary (TUSD)
Grijalva Elementary (TUSD)
Hudlow Elementary (TUSD)
Sewell Elementary (TUSD)
Wright Elementary (TUSD)
Sierra (Sunnyside)
Los Amigos (Sunnyside)
Ocotillo (Sunnyside)
Drexel (Sunnyside)
Los Ninos (Sunnyside)
Calabasas (Rio Rico)
Hank Oyama Elementary (TUSD)
Tolson Elementary (TUSD)
Amphitheater High School (Amphi)
Maxwell Elementary (TUSD)
Flowing Wells High School (Flowing Wells)
Acacia Elementary (Vail)
Whitmore Elementary (TUSD)
Pueblo Gardens (TUSD)
Erickson Elementary (TUSD)
Fort Apache Reservation
Gallego Primary (Sunnyside)
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News award winner and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019 and he is a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
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