SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Dozens of schoolchildren got new athletic shoes this week from students at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.
Through the national “Shoes that Fit” program, SIU medical students have provided more than 1,000 pairs of shoes to area students since 2007, The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported.
This week, beneficiaries were at Enos and McClernand elementary schools. At Enos, first-grader Adonus McGruder and Kievan Walters, a third-grader, were so excited they tested them by racing the hallway outside the library.
The students organize the event and purchase the shoes, according to Hope Cherry, program director for SIU Medicine’s Center for Clinical Research in the Department of Community and Family Medicine. There was a “casual day” to raise money for the campaign and faculty, staff and students all donated shoes.
