Starting the Holidays Off on the Right Foot
- bowerfoundation
- Dec 18, 2018
- 1 min read
'Tis the season of goodwill and it was evident this past weekend in the shoe department at a local Walmart. The Bower Foundation's 7th Annual Christmas Shoes for Kids Fundraiser was a huge success, and thanks to the generosity of donors, over 700 children received new pairs of shoes for Christmas. The Bradenton Real Estate Investors' Group spent months gathering donations and establishing partnerships with local businesses in an effort to serve as many children as possible this year.
The event truly shows the significance of community involvement. Firefighters from the Southern Manatee Fire Department, crew from the Hernando de Soto Historical Society, Fidelity Bank's mascot, and Santa Claus made appearances to make this event more joyous for the kids. Additionally, numerous adult and youth volunteers gave their time to help check-in families and to escort them to registers. "I enjoyed watching faces light up as they were told to pick out shoes," said Victoria Macedo, a seventh grade volunteer from Rowlett Middle Academy.
Members of the Bower Foundation gave out shoe vouchers earlier that day at the Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center. Vouchers were also distributed at Turning Points, an agency in Bradenton that provides support for "the homeless or those at risk of becoming homeless." Families could then stop by Walmart at 2911 53rd Ave. between 5 and 8 p.m. This event is unique in that presents are not selected for kids, but rather children have the opportunity to choose their own pair/s of shoes. There's something special about seeing families together during the holidays and the smiles on everyone's faces.
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