There are some cool new kicks waiting for local kids tomorrow during Kilgore Rotary Club‘s 2025 Shoe Drive.
From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to gold glitter, opalescent silver to technicolor flames plus black, white, maroon, pink, purple and plenty more, the civic organization’s members and volunteers have put heart-and-soles into another back-to-school giveaway set Friday and Saturday in the Family Life Center at St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Kilgore.
“We’ve already got the tables set up,” Rotarian and shoe-driver Linda Sartor said. As of Thursday, the rounds are ringed with more than 400 pairs of shoes in the widest range of sizes, waiting for students of all ages to walk-in and step out in their brand new fashion accessory.
Once families make it through the line and into the building, Rotarians will be standing by to get accurate sizes before sending children to a long row of tables where the volunteers will present a variety of options.
There’s socks, too, of course – Sartor made sure her Rotary Club colleagues double-checked each set of shoes Thursday morning to ensure there was a rolled pair of complementary socks stuffed into the toe.
“We’re ready to go,” she said.
The giveaway kicks-off at 8:30 a.m. July 25, and the Kilgore Rotary organizers anticipate they’ll see families lining up sooner. The earlier they arrive, the broader the selection.
“I want the Rotarians there at 8 a.m. We’ll open at 8:30 and we’ll go to 5 o’clock Friday. On Saturday, we’ll open the doors at 8:30 and serve people until noon.”
At the most recent count, there are 418 fresh pairs ready for the giveaway. The volunteers are primed to sprint out, shop and add to the stock if necessary. The project’s aimed at Kilgore ISD and Sabine ISD students from Pre-K through Seniors, but the civic group always welcomes children from out-of-town as well.
It’s the best way to start the school year putting their best foot forward, Sartor says.
Costs are covered by the club’s signature flag program, wherein members put out the Stars & Stripes six times each year for patriotic holidays. The program costs just $50 per participating household and, combined with other donations, fuels not just the shoe drive but the Rotarians’ annual dictionary giveaway, scholarships and more community outreaches.
Notably, each child who needs shoes must be present in order for Rotarians to measure them for the correct size. Parents or guardians must be on-hand, too.
Parking’s available in front of the 401 E. Main St. church and in a lot adjacent to the Family Life Center.
With the countdown nearing its end, Sartor’s excited: “We just hope that people who need shoes will come to get them.”
