VENMO= Kicks4KidsTucson
Kicks4Kids began as a project to provide around 500 tennis shoes to my own students at Rio Vista Elementary about a decade ago but it has grown into a program that has now spread across six school districts with over 30,000 pairs (over $600,000 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.
Individuals and groups can also contribute, such as the National Elementary Honor Society and Student Council at Painted Sky Elementary. Painted Sky collects sneakers for their public service requirement and the amount frequently reaches around $2,000 worth. This year, Painted Sky collected almost 60 pairs! Companies can also get involved. For instance, Frog and Firkin collected sneaker donations for Kicks4Kids at Christmas time. Several families have also dropped off shoes at my home. We also had a national advertising campaign donate anonymously this year.
This past week, the Morales family donated 20 new pairs of basketball shoes to the Palo Verde girls basketball team at over $2,500 worth as part of the program,
The shoe bank is located at Rio Vista Elementary and I make frequent visits to other low-income schools in our area.
88 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)
Miller Elementary (TUSD)
Mission Manor Elementary (Sunnyside)
Mission View Elementary (TUSD)
Nash Elementary (Amphi)
Ochoa Elementary (TUSD)
Ocotillo (Sunnyside)
Oyama Elementary (TUSD)
Palo Verde High School (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)
Tully Elementary (TUSD)
Twin Peaks (Marana)
Walker Elementary (Amphi)
Walter Douglas Elementary (Flowing Wells)
White Elementary (TUSD)
Whitmore Elementary (TUSD)
Wright Elementary (TUSD)
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