VENMO= Kicks4KidsTucson
Kicks4Kids began as a project to provide around 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 20,125 pairs (over $503,100 worth) collected and distributed to low-income students and programs in need so far. It is the most successful program of its kind.
The program is simple. High school or club sports teams collect one pair of new tennis shoes (youth 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. This past spring, I continued to exchange team photos for sneakers.
The Pusch Ridge baseball team collected over 60 pairs of sneakers in April and the Ironwood Ridge boys and girls tennis teams also collected tennis shoes. The Tucson High, Canyon del Oro and Mountain View baseball teams collected sneakers in March making it one of the most successful collections to date.
Prior to that, the Ironwood Ridge and Tucson High girls soccer programs collected tennis shoes in honor of Troy Iturralde.
Individuals and groups can also contribute, such as the National Elementary Honor Society and Student Council at Painted Sky Elementary. The program at Painted Sky collects sneakers for their public service requirement and the amount frequently reaches around $3,000 worth. Also, companies can get involved. For instance, Frog and Firkin collects sneaker donations for Kicks4Kids at Christmas time. 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. So. If you had me do your senior photos then there are little kids running around in your sneakers. The Scott family made a large financial contribution this spring. The shoe bank is located at Rio Vista Elementary.
Kicks4Kids Night at @PR_BaseBall ! pic.twitter.com/pH4JTDn9Mb
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) April 13, 2022
Thank you to @AmphiSchools @IRHSNighthawks tennis and @PaintedSkyElem honor society for your generous #Kicks4Kids donations this week!! pic.twitter.com/IZNRe7816Z
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) April 7, 2022
Thank you Mountain View baseball for your collection for #Kicks4Kids pic.twitter.com/R6ENIqp1Gp
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) March 16, 2022
Schools in Kicks4Kids Program (so far)
Acacia Elementary (Vail)
Amphitheater High School (Amphi)
Amphi Head Start
Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB)
Blenman Elementary (TUSD)
Booth-Fickett Elementary (TUSD)
Borton Elementary (TUSD)
Butterfield Elementary (Marana)
Calabasas (Rio Rico)
Carillo K-5 (TUSD)
Casa de los Ninos (Program)
Catalina High School (TUSD)
Cavett Elementary (TUSD)
Centennial Elementary (Flowing Wells)
C.E. Rose Elementary (TUSD)
Challenger (Sunnyside)
Coronado K-8 (Amphi)
Coronado Head Start
Coyote Trail (Marana)
Cragin Elementary (TUSD)
Davidson (TUSD)
Davis Elementary (TUSD)
DeGrazia (Marana)
Desert Willow (Vail)
Donaldson Elementary (Amphi)
Doolen Middle School (TUSD)
Drexel (Sunnyside)
Elvira Elementary (Sunnyside)
Erickson Elementary (TUSD)
Flowing Wells High School (Flowing Wells)
Fort Apache Reservation
Gallego Primary (Sunnyside)
Grijalva Elementary (TUSD)
Hendricks Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Holaway Elementary (Amphi)
Holladay Elementary (TUSD)
Hollinger K-8 (TUSD)
Homer Davis Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Hudlow Elementary (TUSD)
Imagine Amphi Preschool (Amphi)
Ironwood (Marana)
Keeling Elementary (Amphi)
Keeling Head Start
Laguna Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Liberty Elementary (Sunnyside)
Lineweaver Elementary (TUSD)
Los Amigos (Sunnyside)
Los Ninos (Sunnyside)
Lynn/Urquides Elementary (TUSD)
Manzo Elementary (TUSD)
Marshall Elementary (TUSD)
Maxwell Elementary (TUSD)
Mexicayotl Academy of Tucson (TUSD)
Miles Elementary (TUSD)
Mission Manor Elementary (Sunnyside)
Mission View Elementary (TUSD)
Nash Elementary (Amphi)
Ochoa Elementary (TUSD)
Ocotillo (Sunnyside)
Oyama Elementary (TUSD)
Pistor Middle Scholl (TUSD)
Prince Elementary (Amphi)
Prince Head Start
Pueblo Gardens (TUSD)
Quail Run (Marana)
Rattlesnake Ridge (Marana)
Richardson Elementary (Flowing Wells)
Rio Vista Elementary (Amphi)
Rivera (Sunnyside)
Roadrunner (Marana)
Roberts/Naylor K-8 (TUSD)
Roskruge K-8 (TUSD)
Santa Clara Elementary (Sunnyside)
Sewell Elementary (TUSD)
Sierra (Sunnyside)
Summit View (Sunnyside)
Sunnyside High School
Tolson Elementary (TUSD)
Tortolita (Marana)
Twin Peaks (Marana)
Walker Elementary (Amphi)
Walter Douglas Elementary (Flowing Wells)
White Elementary (TUSD)
Whitmore Elementary (TUSD)
Wright Elementary (TUSD)
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Named one of “Arizona’s Heart & Sol” by KOLD and Casino del Sol, Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017 and a 2019 AZ Education News recognition. He was 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 and his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is a 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, became a member of the Sunnyside Los Mezquites Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2021 and he was a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee. He earned a Distinguished Service Award from Amphitheater and he was recognized by City Councilman Richard Fimbres. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
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