Kicks-For-Kids

Kicks-for-Kids sponsored by Brightspeed was founded by former Rotarian Jeff White in 1999. The program is a partnership between the New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club, Craven County School District and Todd Whisnant, owner of Coastal Sole. Kicks-for-Kids is the signature project for the New Bern Breakfast Rotary Club.

The club estimates that this program has provided shoes for close to 7,000 children since the program’s founding in 1999, touching on the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children in Craven County.

Students deal with so many issues today: bullying, low self-esteem, childhood trauma. All these concerns jeopardize the quality of their education.  We feel that by providing shoes, these kids can feel a sense of pride in their appearance.  This program also helps families who may be struggling to pay bills and provide for their children.

It is also an opportunity for club volunteers to build relationships with the children as time is taken to have a conversation and letting them know there are people in their community who care about them.

There is not one child or club volunteer who leaves the event without a smile on their face or without knowing that a great service has been provided.

Craven County School officials identify local elementary and middle school children based on need.  Although in the days before COVID, children were transported to Coastal Sole where they had the opportunity to select a new pair of sneakers.  Since 2020, however, Rotary members volunteer to visit each school to measure the feet of the selected children and ask if they have color preferences. When the shoes are ready to be delivered, Rotary members return to these schools with the appropriate boxes of shoes for each student. For many of these children it is the first time they have had the opportunity to own a new pair of shoes, just for them.