Snowy weather and dicey roads slowed deliveries down Thursday, but six members of a local sorority still passed out 263 pairs of new sneakers to first graders at five elementary schools in the Gary Community School Corp.
The Delta Sigma Theta Inc.’s alumnae chapter raised the money for the Nike Air Force One solid white sneakers from a Sneaker Ball event in February.
“It’s an exciting day, even though it’s snowing,” said Sharmayne McKinley, principal at the McCullough Academy, the first stop of the morning.
McKinley, who’s also a member of the sorority, said the kids didn’t know about the surprise, although their parents filled out permission slips with shoe sizes on them.
Felicia Farmer, who led the sneaker fundraising drive, said the event, held at Villa Cesare Banquets & Events in Schererville, raised about $21,000.
Farmer said shoe boxes were loaded into the sorority members’ vehicles as they made their way through the first snowfall of the season.
“They were so happy, they were smiling from ear to ear,” Farmer said when the students saw their new shoes. “They were jumping up and down, they were so excited.”
Yvonne Lucas, an instructional math coach at McCullough, said the kids cheered when they saw their shoes.
“Some wanted to put them on right away,” she said.
Lucas, who’s also a sorority member, said the Nike shoes were all uniformly white to tamp down any bouts of jealousy among the kids regarding different colors.
Sorority president Lisa Derico said the sorority’s next event is a free turkey dinner giveaway on Thanksgiving.
She said sorority members will pack and pass out 250 to 300 to-go dinners from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday at New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, 1917 Carolina St.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
