For fifteen years Lawrence Rotary Club has been on the Sole Patrol..
For fifteen years, many children in Lawrence have stepped into the new school-year in brand new shoes thanks to the efforts of the Rotary Sole Patrol. Lawrence Rotarians have leveraged their donations along with a Rotary District grant and administrative help from Lawrence School District #497 to ensure that children needing help with back to school clothing can join their classmates in brand new shoes that they "shop" for at the school district offices.
Since 2008, over $65,000 in donations has gone into funding this project. That funding has purchased about 4700 pairs of children's shoes. 2023 is the final year for this project and the group distributed over 300 pairs of shoes this school year. Rotarians expect to build on the success of the shoe project in coming years by working with teachers to provide healthy snacks to help more children maintain their energy and concentration throughout the day.