Shoe Club marches toward $160k goal for veterans park project
CHARLEVOIX — The East Jordan Middle School Shoe Club is in the process of raising funds for their latest project.
The project will create “a lasting and living memorial for the veterans of the East Jordan area by building the Grand Army of the Republic Veterans Park" and writing a "Stories of Service" commemorative book featuring interviews with local military members.
Last August, the 7th and 8th graders began their ambitious project to raise over $160,000 to fund the new park, commemorative book and videos as well as a trip to Gettysburg.
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Along with the middle school's digital media class, the Shoe Club will also be producing short-form films about the history of the Grand Army of the Republic and the park.
They are conducting interviews and sourcing photos for the development of the commemorative book, as well as participating in a curriculum about the attributes of honor and service and the applications of service to the community today.
The project plans to culminate with a trip to Gettysburg and a Memorial Day dedication of the Grand Army of the Republic Veterans Park.
Through private and corporate donations and municipal grants, they are 95 percent funded, having already raised $146,000.
The Shoe Club was started in March 2008 by teacher Matt Hamilton, who was inspired by listening to motivational speaker Mike Donahue. In order to become a member of the club, students must read Donahue’s book "Value Up," and then write a short paper about what they learned from reading it. They must also list 10 life goals and explain how they will accomplish each one.
After completing these steps, they can bring in a shoe for Hamilton to display in his classroom.
The shoes hang as reminders to all students about working hard, making good choices, not bullying others and walking in each other’s shoes.
The club meets regularly to discuss situations students may encounter as well as participate in several volunteer projects.
“Students today are under a lot of stress and pressure,” said Hamilton. “The Shoe Club was started for middle school students to value themselves and others.”
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Previous club projects have included sending a shoe into space, raising money for installation of solar panels on the middle school roof, and raising funds to improve the elementary school garden by building an indoor growing space, a hoop house and composting bins.
The students have also collected shoes from inspirational leaders from around the world, including basketball legend Michael Jordan, the inventor of the cell phone Martin Cooper, the world’s fastest woman Sanya Richards Ross, eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, pop-star Justin Bieber, and Anne Bancroft, the first woman to walk across Antarctica.
To contribute, to the Shoe Club’s fundraising goal, visit gofund.me/7b7e28fa.
More information about the club can be found at shoeclub.org.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231) 675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoix.com
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: East Jordan Shoe Club marches toward $160k goal for veterans park project
