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Kicks for the Kids sends over 1,000 students back to school with a new pair of shoes

More than 1,000 pairs of new shoes were handed out to local children in need going back to school Saturday at The Bethel Church through the WJXT-Channel 4 and Kicks for the Kids Positively JAX campaign. (Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than a thousand local students will be going back to school in style after the Kicks for the Kids and WJX-Channel 4 Positively JAX campaign helped over 1,700 pairs of new shoes be donated over the past month.

The three-day giveaway which ran Aug. 3-5 at The Bethel Church saw 1,004 children receive their new shoes. The surplus shoes will find a new home at the Kicks for the Kids Store, which will be housed at Andrew Robinson Elementary School. Additionally, we are thrilled to spread the love and impact by distributing the remaining shoes among several local charities, ensuring that our community continues to receive the support and care it truly deserves.

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Since 2014, News4JAX and Kicks for the Kids have helped collect over 17,300 pairs of shoes for children in need in kindergarten through high school.

Tracy Gaffney (right), a Kicks for the Kids volunteer and former WJXT-Channel 4 employee, helps a child pick out a new pair of shoes at the Kicks for the Kids giveaway at The Bethel Church. (Copyright 2023 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

A special thank you goes out to our business partners who served as drop-off locations for this year’s donations:

  • Closets By Design of the First Coast
  • 121 Financial Branches
  • 1st Place Sports
  • Meow and Barks Boutique
  • Fragrant Body Oilz
  • 1Foxy Lady Cafe
  • The Cake Bar
  • JTA Headquarters
  • McGowan’s Heating and Air Conditioning

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