TOMS club sponsors shoe drive for local organization

by Divya Kumar
News Editor

It is not unusual to see boxes and posters asking for donations of everyday items around the school. However, those created by the TOMS club in order to benefit their first ever shoe drive serve a slightly different purpose than many ordinary fundraisers.

The TOMS club, founded by juniors Sarah Hillier and Lydia White, is based off of the TOMS Shoe organization, through which when a pair of canvas shoes are bought by a customer, another pair of the shoes are shipped to Africa to a child in need. Widely popular among customers due to not only their charitable cause, but also their comfort, Hillier and White attempted to push the cause further through their club.

“I own basically twenty pairs of shoes,” White said. “When I think of a kid out there without the opportunity to even have a pair of shoes, and then what TOMS can do for them, I feel even more devoted towards the cause.”

The shoe drive is based off of the organization “Shoes for Orphan Souls”, located in downtown Dallas. It allows members the opportunity to drop off their collected shoes at the headquarters and later volunteer there in order to see the effects of their charitable actions. Some givers are often times even lucky enough to have the experience to take visits to these orphanages to see the benefits of their work.

The idea of the shoe drive began when White’s mother discovered a friend at work participating in the same fundraiser. The co-presidents researched the organization behind the shoe drive and then consulted with their sponsor in order to begin to enact a plan as to how to spread the idea of the drive throughout the school.

“There are a lot of boxes around the school asking kids to donate their old items for a particular cause,” Hillier said. “We made posters and boxes, but we weren’t sure how much attention it would attract because it’s not drastically different.”

Therefore, in addition to simply advertising with boxes that can be seen around in the school in areas such as the library, classrooms and Student Services, the TOMS club members have emailed English teachers, encouraging them to tell their students to participate in the drive. The fourth period class with the most shoes raised between Nov. 2 and Dec. 11, the running time for the drive, will win a pizza party in reward.

However, there are some aspects regarding the shoe drive that concern the co-presidents.

“We were slightly worried about the ‘new’ factor of the shoes, because we weren’t sure how many people would be willing to go and buy new shoes to donate, but would rather just share their used ones,” Hillier said. “But after thinking about it, we came to the realization that no matter the number of kids we help with these shoes, it’s still going to make a difference in their lives.”

The drive is not restricted to a certain type of shoe, despite popular belief. Anything ranging from cheap flip-flops from Wal-Mart to shoelaces, which can be bought for a matter of cents, are able to be donated and make a difference.

In addition to these shoes, letters written by TOMS club members, along with anyone else interested in participating, will be given to the orphans along with their shoes, in order for students here to be able to create a deeper bond between the people who they are helping.

Later fundraisers for similar causes are in the process of being organized by the co-presidents, such as a “Style Your Sole” party through which the members will sell the shoes at school and later gather together to paint them. However, for the moment the shoe drive serves as a very big source of fundraising for the club.

“Rather than just helping kids in different areas around the world, the effects of this shoe drive will also help kids in the Dallas area,” White said. “And that’s what makes it so difference—this shoe drive has the ability to make an impact in our community and in areas around the world.”