Preston community donates shoes, cash, to school shoe rack

Mar. 23—KINGWOOD — A lack of appropriate gym shoes shouldn't be a barrier to participating in physical education class.

After a donation of gently used shoes and money by the Alpine Lake community earlier this month, students at Kingwood Elementary School won't have to worry about it.

Kylie Phillips, in her third year as the wellness teacher at Kingwood Elementary, said the shoe rack in her gym has been around since before she started. It's not just for kids whose parents can't afford shoes but also for those who wear snow boots and forget their gym shoes.

"It's for students that don't have tennis shoes to wear during PE class, so that they aren't having to sit out because they don't have the appropriate shoes, " she said.

Phillips said she was really taken aback by the donation.

"I really appreciate it and I know that the kids appreciate it too, " she said. "Because you know, just having that nice pair of tennis shoes to participate is something I don't think they've always had and so it just makes their day better."

Sheila Amato, an Alpine Lake resident, first noticed the shoe rack while giving a presentation in the school's gym for work. She said the rack, sorted by shoe size, reminded her of the ones shoes are kept in at bowling alleys.

Amato asked Phillips about it, who explained what the shoes were for. Amato also learned there weren't enough shoes for the amount of need.

"Tony and I live in Alpine Lake. And a lot of the property owners here like to contribute and to do things on behalf of children and adults in the community, " Amato said. "So I just figured, well, let's see if we can get some, you know, gently used sneakers to fill in her gaps."

A post to the local Facebook group was made and the community rallied around the idea.

Many who live in Alpine Lake don't have children's shoes on hand, Amato explained. Some bought new shoes and others donated cash. Walt Grimm was the first to donate $50 and he challenged others to do the same. About a dozen followed his lead.

In total, about 14 pairs of shoes and almost $600 were donated, Amato said.

Phillips said she's been able to buy a lot of shoes and still has money left over to fill in the gaps as needed.

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