Two nonprofit charities thank donors after large shoe contributions in recent weeks.

The Loyalty, a basketball clothing and equipment retailer, has partnered with PUMA Hoops, one of the brands it sells to donate more than 30 pairs of shoes to the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan.

The shoes will be distributed to children and young people who are part of the social programs offered by the company.

“These shoes are more than just a pair of shoes. They are truly a symbol that there are people in the community looking out for our children, ”said CEO Shawn Fraser.

He added that many young people in his care have a passion for basketball. and a gift like this greatly contributes to their self-confidence while providing them with equipment to play sports.

The donation is equivalent to more than $ 4,000.

The store owner knows what that means for kids who can’t afford the latest Air Jordans.

“(When I was younger) a lot of my shoes were sort of from Zellers or Walmart. I can definitely see where a lot of kids are coming from, especially right now (because of the pandemic), ”Jason Sears told Global News.

The Loyalty opened a few months before the start of the pandemic, but Sears said working with PUMA has enabled its company to help some of the less fortunate in times of need.

“I think it’s important to show the community that businesses are here to stay and that they will do whatever they can to support the community through good times and bad,” he said. declared.

A similar donation was made two weeks ago to The Bridge.

This organization had a family with a van full of new Sketchers children’s shoes at their front door.

The donation arrived just as the organization was running low on its inventory of children’s shoes.

The director of operations noted that any donation is appreciated, but giving parents and guardians the ability to get new shoes right out of the box is special.

“It’s hard not to be able to provide something your kids need. Even with these new shoes, we were able to bless a man who takes care of his grandchildren, ”said Ryan Falk.

The donation to The Bridge was also over 30 new pairs of shoes.

The Bridge and John Howard Society added that some of the children they work with have never owned a new pair of shoes, noting that being able to offer this at this time of the pandemic is a confidence boost for their customers.

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