FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD)- Thanks to the daughter of a longtime Fort Worth ISD teacher, kids at one elementary school in the district made off with a new pair of shoes.
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Lisa Nichols started Maggie's Sole Mission in 2020 following the death of her mother, Maggie Sohel.
"I told her, 'Mom, I'm going to start a nonprofit," Nichols said about one of the last conversations she had with her mother before she had succumbed to cancer. "And we're going to do a new shoe drive every year, and we're going to get new shoes for students. And we're going to do this in your memory.'"
Nichols says since the shoe drive started in 2021, donations have doubled each year from the previous year.
"This year, we raised $6,200, and we were able to donate 200 pairs of new shoes to Hubbard Heights Elementary School and also provide nine gift cards," Nichols tells KRLD News.
The gift cards went to the kids who weren't able to come away with a new pair of shoes.
"They weren't able to find a pair that fit them perfectly," says Nichols, "so we made sure have gift cards to take with them."
The shoes are not off-brand shoes, either.
"We provide the most popular brands," Nichols says, "so they're getting Vans and Adidas and Nikes."
The huge shoe donation was also made possible in part by a strong corporate partnership.
"We have a really special partnership with Academy," Nichols says, "and they give us 20% off every pair of shoes."
Nichols says there's a direct correlation between having good, comfortable, stylish shoes and academic achievement.
"Students will miss school simply because they don't have shoes that fit, and they start to fall behind in school," Nichols says. "And then once didn't start to fall behind in school, they're more likely to be at risk for dropping out."
Nichols says the number of kids in the Fort Worth ISD who need new shoes is astounding.
She says, "After last year, we were contacted by six different schools who said, 'Can you please adopt us for next year?'"
The shoes are given away during a student event every year on October 17th, her mother's birthday.
"We want every child to have that fun and exciting experience of trying on a new pair of shoes and picking out the one you like and the one that fits you," says Nichols.
For more on Maggie's Sole Mission and to find out how you can help, visit the charity's website.
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