After giving free shoes to children for years, Bower Foundation hopes for record year
Area children can grab a free pair of shoes — or two — during a giveaway on Saturday evening, helping them start off on the right foot before the holidays and the second semester of school.
The Bower Family Foundation started giving away shoes eight years ago, serving about 175 kids during the program’s launch. The nonprofit more than quadrupled that number last year, and it hopes to serve at least 1,100 children this weekend, said Vincent Bower, the organization’s founder.
“I’ve been a property manager for 25 years and mostly in the lower socioeconomic areas,” he said. “One of the things I noticed was kids with no shoes, dirty shoes or shoes with rips and tears in them.”
Interested families can visit the Tabernacle of Higher Learning Christian Center, 5535 33rd St. E. in Bradenton, to claim a voucher at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Later that evening, from 4 to 8 p.m., the vouchers can be used at Walmart, 2911 53rd Ave. E. in Bradenton.
The program is intended for children of all ages, up to their senior year of high school, though Bower said there were no requirements behind the vouchers.
“We don’t care,” he said. “We’re not asking any questions.”
Children often take home two or three pairs of shoes with their $20 voucher, especially if they shop in the clearance section, Bower continued.
Southern Manatee Fire Rescue will join the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando de Soto Historical Society and even Santa Claus at the event, helping children shop for their new shoes.
“The beauty of our program is the kids come right to Walmart and pick out their own shoes,” he said. “That’s the cool thing — we get to watch their excitement.”
His foundation raised approximately $16,000 for the program in 2018, a record-breaking year, and it hit another milestone at nearly $23,000 this year.
The shoes are a holiday offering from Bower’s family and generous community donors, and it may be the only gift received by some children, Bower said. With a record amount of donations, he hopes to serve more kids than ever.
“That would be a blessing,” he said. “And I’ve got a credit card ready. If we go over 1,100, I don’t mind.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 5:00 AM.