The LZHS boys basketball team participated in a shoe drive for charity over winter break. Many team members, coaches, and parents helped contribute to this event by donating a pair of their own unused or unneeded shoes to charity for the holidays.

      On December 18, all pairs of shoes were packaged in boxes and collected from the team. The shoes were shipped off to Timothy’s Ministry Center and ready by the day of the event on December 22.

      “Homeless people are bused into Timothy Ministry Center and are given a meal, clothes, and shoes,” Ryan Richman, senior and team member, said. “Some of the clothes and shoes are used by the homeless people for job interviews. One of the goals is to get them back to work so they can hopefully, one day, afford a place to live.”

      A total of 135 pairs of shoes, boots, and sneakers were collected by the LZHS basketball team and were donated to the shoe drive.

      “Homeless people go through many pairs of shoes due to the amount of walking they do, which is why this was for a great cause,” Richman said. “This shows how many pairs of shoes we can collect collect from just one team in one week. Can you imagine how many pairs we could collect from an entire school?”

      After the teams’ shoe donations to Timothy’s Ministry Center, many homeless people walked away with shoes on their feet and a smile on their faces.

      “It is such a great cause with great people involved,” Richman said. “It puts a smile on those who are less fortunate and helps those in need.”