Shoes For Kids initiative gets kids back to school on the right foot

By Dale Woodard on June 30, 2021.

Herald photo by Dale Woodard RCMP investigator Dennis Kerr, at left, Royal Bank branch manager Nicole Merritt, Lethbridge Police Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh, Connecting our Community Lethbridge spokeperson Mallory Kristjanson and Rayan Najjar, acting inspector with the Blood Tribe Police, help launch the Shoes For Kids initiative.

Connecting Our Community Lethbridge is making sure children start the school year off on the right foot.
Or in this case, feet.
In an announcement Tuesday afternoon at Lethbridge Police Headquarters, the Shoes For Kids YQL: Stepping Into The Future, One Sole at a Time initiative was unveiled, with the goal of sending at least 200 children to school this fall with a new pair of runners.
The Shoes For Kids drive – taking place with the support of the Lethbridge Police Service, Blood Tribe Police, the Piikani Nation RCMP and Royal Bank of Canada – will take place Aug. 14 at the Lethbridge College parking lot N from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Both businesses and individuals can support the event by purchasing shoes in kids to adult sizes and dropping them off on the date of the event with the donated shoes distributed to children identified through the school system.
“We’re here to day to ask our community to come together to sponsor over 200 children, (which) is our optimistic goal,” said Mallory Kristjanson, spokesperson for Connecting Our Community Lethbridge. “We anticipate more, so if we can come together to ensure as many children within our community of Lethbridge – four schools particularly, represented from both school districts – along with with children and students in the Piikani and Kainai nation, we want to bring our community collectively together to ensure all students who are in need can return back to the school year with brand new shoes.”
Kristjanson said the need for proper footwear, and how many children go without, sparked the initiative.
“It was something I personally observed every single day with the children and students in my neighbourhood,” she said. “Throughout various other initiatives we recognized immediately there were a number of children who were going without actual shoes that were in good condition.”
Kristjanson added shoes are an important daily requirement and something children deserve.
“With brand new shoes, not only are they going to be able to walk to and from school, for those who have to walk, they’re also going to be able to participate in sports in their gym classes and also have that same dignity as their peers with brand new shoes.”
The Shoes For Kids drive will collect shoe sizes from one all the way to adult size 11, said Kristjanson.
“We have two elementary schools that are going to be represented, one junior high school and also a high school here in Lethbridge. We’re also hoping to collect anywhere from 20 to 50 brand new pairs of shoes for both our surrounding Indigenous communities.”
Though the schools in need won’t be identified, Kristjanson said they have collaborated with administers from each of the schools, adding she hopes the Shoes For Kids initiative is the first annual event of many.
“We know through other various initiatives which students are in need. So we’re going to ensure the principals of those schools are also at the shoe drive so they can take the shoes back to the students who are in need.”
Rayan Najjar, acting inspector with the Blood Tribe Police Service remembered doing back-to-school shopping with his parents as a child.
“I’d lay out my clothes I was so excited to show my friends the next morning,” he said. “I realized much later in life that wasn’t a common feeling for a lot of children and that I was blessed with this privilege that my parents purchase these shoes for me on an annual basis whereas others have not been able to.
“Shoes For Kids doesn’t just provide new shoes for the children. It gives them the ability to go to school with dignity and excitement. It gives them the ability to gain self esteem and confidence to face challenges during the day they might face with that pride and it allows them to share the same feeling I had when I grew up.”
Dennis Kerr, investigator at Piikani Nation, said there’s a need for shoes in his community, but also the surrounding ones.
“The RCMP are always invested in the youth and will always participate in these endeavours, especially when it involves our communities and other communities as well.”
Lethbridge Police Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh said every employee of the LPS is a part of the community.
“Anything we can do to partner to make this a better city for everyone live, including our staff, is obviously a great initiative. Every employee here is dedicated enough to want to make this a better place.”

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