Back to School Sneaker Event

SPRINGFIELD — Kids of all ages, sizes and shapes, moms, dads and extended families crowded the athletic field next to the Boys and Girls Club on Carew Street Saturday as Vox Church and the club hosted the second annual Back-to-School Sneaker Event.

Vox Church Campus Coordinator Daniel Tedone estimated as many as 3,000 people came to take part in receiving a new pair of sneakers and a backpack for each kid in need, and to enjoy the carnival atmosphere with bounce houses, food booths and activities.

Tedone said the church had hoped in the past it would be able to give away 1,000 pairs of sneakers. That goal was reached yesterday.

“We had to turn away so many kids last year. We gave away 600 pairs of sneakers and maybe 300 backpacks, but we realized there were kids showing up with no socks, with holes in their shoes. Clearly, there is a need,” Tedone said. “We wanted to beef it up because we had to turn away so many people and we didn’t want to have to do that again this year. So, we went out and sought sponsors and they stepped up.”

Companies such as Health New England, Stop and Shop, Fallon Health, Chick-fil-A, and Hot Table contributed. Non-profit organizations such as Make It Springfield, Moms of Western Mass, Teen Think the Springfield Rescue Mission, the Literacy Lab and Hope for Kids also participated, as did the Springfield Police Department, Fire Department and the Springfield Public Library.

The 1,000 pairs of sneaker organizers were able to buy this year were all but gone just two hours after the 10 a.m. start. Tedone said families started lining up an hour early. Does that mean next year may see 2,000 pairs of sneakers?

“Yeah,” he said. “We would like to do 2,000 pairs but that depends on sponsorships; sneakers are expensive. Depending on what we can do with sponsorships and partnerships, that’s what we will do. We will expand as much as we can.”

Nine-year-old Christian Gonzalez waited patiently for his sneakers yesterday. He sat with church volunteer Corey Sanders to have his feet washed, like all the kids who received sneakers, and a fresh, brand-new pair of socks slipped onto his feet before fitting the shoes.

“We talk with the kids about who they are, what they like to do, hobbies, things like that,” Sanders said. “We develop a sense of commonality with them and try to create Jesus in all of them; we want to help them have that relationship.”

Two seats down, Khadija Ali, 7, was so enthralled with her pair of shiny silver sneakers she wanted to leave with them right away, even though they were just a little too small. Church volunteer Lisa Lubanski had to talk her into trying a second pair.

Outside, bicycle enthusiast Robert Thomas used his mechanical skills to help set up the 18 bicycles RAD Springfield turned over to kids who otherwise would not have one.

RAD Springfield is part of Make It Springfield.

“Make it Springfield is a community space located near the junction of Main Street and Worthington Street and it does all kinds of things — art classes, woodworking instruction, sewing, and every Monday it turns into a pop-up bike shop we call RAD Springfield,” he said.

There, the group takes donated bicycles and fixes them up for eventual distribution to people in the city who need transportation. But more than giving bikes away, Thomas said the group also teaches kids how to fix their own bikes.

“We have a full set of tools for them to use along with volunteer mechanics to work with them,” he said. “It’s all part of our philosophy, recycle and reuse.”

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022).

© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.