The Independence community helped the students from the middle and high school music department collect 4,920 pairs of shoes and raise more than $2,000. They succeeded in their goal of topping their 2021 total of 4,447 shoes. Collection bins were located in all three schools and the Independence Civic Center. Students also collected shoes at athletic events, open house, and city events like FallFest. The students held weekly “Count and Wrap Parties” at the high school.
Half of the proceeds will go toward student trip accounts for their trip to Walt Disney World in Florida to perform this spring. The other half will help the music department defray costs associated with sheet music, uniforms, instruments and accompanist fees.
“This was such a huge community effort and I am so proud of our students for managing and organizing this entire fundraiser since August,” said Music Teacher Gretchen Obrovac. “I just want to thank everyone who donated shoes, moved shoes, helped at the Count and Wrap parties and loaded the truck.”
Donors included staff, parents, families, Boosters, school board members, churches, businesses, residents and others. The shoes were purchased by Funds2Orgs. The organization repurposes footwear that might otherwise remain in a closet or end up in a landfill. The shoes will go to people in impoverished, war or weather-torn parts of the world.
