Every student at Camanche Elementary School walked out of the building today in brand new – some flashy – tennis shoes. They received these through a gift from 1st Gateway Credit Union.
It was the first ever shoe drive hosted by the credit union, something they are hoping to do much more of. They partnered with Shoe Sensation, located in Clinton, to give every kid at the school a pair of new kicks. It gave the kids a little break from class to gather into the gym for a fun, music-filled event to receive the shoes, ending with a blast of confetti. The hope of the credit union is the positive impact doesn’t just stop there.
“It improves things like physical activity, it improves their social interaction, it improves attendance in school,” said CEO Pat Drennen. “Our thought was, we do a lot for our adults at our credit union, we wanted to do something for the youth.”
Each kid was fitted into a size a couple weeks ago, then they received the shoes on Tuesday.
“We just hope they like them,” said Drennen. “I know I would’ve.”
The credit union has plans to give out shoes to six more schools in their service area. They hope their next shoe giveaway can be right after winter break.