HARNEY HEIGHTS — King Elementary students in kindergarten through second grade received new pairs of shoes from FedEx on April 17 as part of the company’s 50th-birthday celebrations.
The event was one of more than 50 nonprofit volunteer events FedEx planned nationwide to honor the communities that have supported the company since its founding in 1973. Through a collaboration with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that manufactures high-quality children’s coats and shoes, 300 pairs of new shoes were provided free of charge to 266 students during a school event. The remaining pairs of shoes will be distributed to students in need through the school’s Family-Community Resource Center.
“Thanks to this generous donation from FedEx, we have removed a barrier for some students that might not have a chance to buy brand new shoes,” said Amalia Franco, Family-Community Resource Coordinator at King Elementary. “Students can rest assured that between our schools and our community, we will make sure they have what they need to succeed.”
During the event, students were matched up with FedEx team members from the greater Portland-Vancouver region who volunteered their time to walk each child through the process of selecting the new shoes in a variety of colors.
King Elementary is one of 28 schools across North America to receive donated shoes. Throughout March and April, FedEx will have distributed more than 8,400 pairs of shoes.
