The smiles and looks of wonder on the faces of children receiving running shoes were priceless at Hoërskool Vorentoe High School in Rossmore.
The Drop Off a Pair and Show You Care campaign, in conjunction with SPAR and Caxton Local Media, had community members donating running shoes that were in good condition throughout the year and culminated in a drop-off on 22 November.
This initiative has been active every year since Caxton staff noticed girls running the SPAR Women’s Challenge barefoot in 2015.
Every year the community gives a little more and this year was no different. Roughly 500 pairs of beautiful running shoes had learners from the school wide-eyed and trying them on.
“I would like to thank everybody for getting these shoes for us,” said the school’s principal, Hans Saestad.
“It’s been the [biggest] problem where we have had athletes training barefoot.”
SPAR Grand Prix ambassadors René Kalmer and Mapaseka Makhanya were on hand to help children find running shoes of the right sizes.
They shared the joy of the learners when they found the perfect pair for the perfect child.
SPAR Face of the Race finalist, Holly Gxubane called the donation ‘amazing’.
“When I started running, the first shoes I had were a gift to me,” she said.
“I know how the learners will appreciate the shoes. Some people cannot afford good running shoes and thanks to this, now some people can start running.”
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