Georgia teen gives free shoes to students with help from Olympian Rosemarie Whyte

Ison Springs Elementary School students went home on Friday with a pair of new shoes courtesy of a Mount Vernon School junior.

Collin Maher used funds raised through the Cocoa Classic 5K run he held for a second year to buy shoes for approximately 475 students. In 2023, he founded the race as his Eagle Scout project. Funds raised last year paid for shoes for Lake Forest Elementary School students.

This year, Maher enlisted the help of two-time Olympic medal winner Rosemarie Whyte, who won silver medals in 2008 in Beijing and in 2012 in London. She and her teammates represented Jamaica in both Olympics, competing in the 4×100 meter women’s relay.

Credit: Bob Pepalis

Whyte said she loved what Maher was doing and that it was important to help kids in need.

Whyte offered the students at the Sandy Springs school a lesson she learned: life is never going to be easy and will have ups and downs, like going through a dark tunnel.

“If we give up, we will never see the light. But if we continue one day, we will see the light,” she said.

Maher said he got help for this year’s fundraiser from Mercedes and several local workout centers. More funds were collected this year than last year, and Ison Springs has fewer students than Lake Forest, so he plans to put any leftover funds toward next year’s shoe giveaway.

His charity partners with Shoes That Fit , a non-profit organization that donates new athletic shoes to elementary school-age children in need throughout the United States.

“I’m just glad to see the smiles on the kids’ faces,” Maher said.

Credit: Bob Pepalis

He said he was especially glad he got to help a new student who started attending Ison Springs after the shoe giveaway was planned.

“I’m just glad to see his face lit up when it fit, and it wasn’t too tight. It made my day,” Maher said.

Mahar plans to do the giveaway again next year but hopes to pass along the project to another student or students when he finishes college.

Ison Springs Principal Lakasha Lee said what was important about Maher’s efforts is that it brings a sense of community. For Ison Springs students, they see someone from the outside who doesn’t know much about the school offering a positive impact.

“It teaches our students a sense of value that gives them preparation for what to look forward to,” she said.

Credit: Rough Draft Atlanta

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