Christmas came a few months early for hundreds of students in Manchester this week as they returned to school with new shoes, thanks to the annual ‘Kickers Shoe Drive.’ The diaspora initiative, organized by Give Back Jamaica (GBJ) based in Roanoke, Virginia, the Friends of Porus (FOP), and the Signature Society based in New York, donated footwear to primary and infant schools in central Jamaica.
Hopeton Brown, President of GBJ, Vassell ‘George’ Ogilvie, Vice President of FOP, and other members of the board travelled to Jamaica to make the presentation.
“The children were ecstatic to receive the shoes and wanted to know if we will be back next year,” Ogilvie informed, adding that there are plans to expand the program.
So far, approximately 5,000 shoes have been donated to students since the program was officially launched at Crescent Primary School in September 2021.
Dr. Eve Richardson, CEO of GBJ, told Caribbean National Weekly that the initiative was born out of her own childhood experience of not having proper shoes to attend school.
“I remember how it felt when my parents couldn’t provide shoes,” Dr. Richardson shared. “My mission is to make sure no child feels insecure because they do not have shoes,” she said.
This year, the “Kickers Shoe Drive” program targeted seven schools, including Porus Primary, St Jago Primary, Harmons Primary, Campbell’s Castle Primary, Broadleaf Primary, Ramble Primary, and Porus High School. Among the individuals and organizations contributing to the annual “Kickers Shoe Drive” were Steven F. Nesheiwat, Esq., Maher Fahouric, Esq., Michael O’Connor, Esq., Jamie Greenwald, Esq., and Sephron Mair, CEO & President of Signature Society.
“We are always looking for partners and donors,” Ogilvie reiterated.
“If you identify a primary school in Jamaica and you want to assist the ‘Kickers Shoe Drive,’ please contact us at www.givebackjamaica.org.”
