By Andrea Eger, Tulsa World, Okla.
McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
24 April 2008
Tulsa World (MCT)
If the shoe fits, wear it.
That is what all 300 students at Eugene Field Elementary School will do in the next couple of days as they have their feet measured and fitted with new pairs of athletic shoes, courtesy of Wal-Mart and a host of school partners.
Principal Cindi Hemm called a surprise assembly Wednesday afternoon where two students were chosen to remove gift wrapping and a big red bow to reveal a huge wall of shoeboxes before the entire school.
Wild screams and cheers filled the gymnasium at Eugene Field, 2249 S. Phoenix Ave., as children got their first peek at the selection of sneakers, which included Shaquille O'Neal-sponsored basketball high-tops and girl's shoes embellished with touches of silver, pink and red.
"The red ones!" shrieked fifth-graders Tamara Yackeschi and Brenda Montes, both 11, when asked which shoes they hoped to receive.
Hemm told the students they have many people to thank for their gift.
Wal-Mart donated $4,600 worth of shoes, and business partners near the school raised funds to purchase all of the rest. Those sponsors are Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway; Community Bank & Trust Co.; Evans Enterprises; Frasier, Frasier & Hickman law firm; and Sooner Emergency Services.
"All of these people love you and asked, 'How can we help?' " Hemm told the students.
The generosity was not lost on Tamara and Brenda.
"I would like to tell them thank you for, like, supporting us, and they helped us a lot," Brenda said.
Tamara said she could not wait to share the good news with her mother after school.
"She's going to say, 'Oh, my gosh -- you got new shoes? High five!' " Tamara said, while demonstrating the high-five.
Kayla Bryant, also 11, said her parents would be relieved that they will not have to buy her another pair of shoes soon, because "they're trying to earn money to fix our pool."
Fifth-graders Kyle Almond and Eli Hall recalled that teachers asked the fifth-graders to vote on the "coolest shoes" from a selection of shoes some time during the fall semester, but they did not know why at the time.
"I thought we were going to donate them to a different school or something," Kyle said.
"Yeah, I thought it was a reward for other kids," Eli said.
Even kindergartners in Brenda Knipher's class were excited by the news.
"Thank you," Corey Harrison, 5, said when asked what he thought about the shoes.
Six-year-old Riley Hearn volunteered that his mother was "going to fall out of the couch" when he told her.
Wal-Mart employees who attended the assembly said witnessing the children's reaction was gratifying.
"We've done a lot through community grants, but this is one of the bigger ones, in terms of serving this many people. You rarely touch the lives of 300 people all at once," said Barrett Goss, fashion merchandiser for Wal-Mart's Tulsa market.
Andrea Eger 581-8470 andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com
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