Shoe Donation
Program
WORD BY RUSSELL DINKINS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TRACKSMITH FOUNDATION
Shortly after we launched the Tracksmith Foundation at the end of 2021, we embarked on a research project to better understand the gaps in our nation’s youth track and field system. Among what we learned was that, despite our sport being more affordable and accessible than most other sports, access to proper equipment - especially training and competition footwear - was a significant obstacle to participation for many youth from lower income backgrounds. Early in 2022, we started to explore whether this was an area where we could make a difference. As often occurs in life, a bit of serendipity and some quirky rules gave us an opportunity.
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Finding
Mutual Benefit
After we discovered an often overlooked NCAA bylaw, which allows nonprofits to donate gear and equipment from colleges to high school students, I reached out to my alma mater, Princeton, to gauge their interest in finding a good purpose for their unused footwear. To my surprise, the Princeton Track and Field Program had nearly a decade’s worth of never-been-used track spikes and running shoes that it was happy to donate to the Tracksmith Foundation. This served as the basis for our pilot shoe donations events.
Our inaugural donation event was in the summer of 2022 in my hometown of Philly, where I was able to give unused track spikes and running shoes to high school-aged student athletes in the community. Being able to give back to the community that raised me was personally very significant. After seeing the difference we were able to help make with young athletes in Philly, I knew that I wanted to have this kind of impact, not only in my hometown, but in other cities across the country. So for the summer of 2023, we expanded the program by holding events in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Chicago.
Impact by
the Numbers
Despite the curveballs presented by each location, the Foundation successfully produced four events across the U.S., distributing around 1,5000 pairs of spikes and training shoes to 400 high school student-athletes in low-income neighborhoods. Not only does this program provide high school students with high quality gear for training and competing, but it also serves as a tangible representation of the college athletic opportunities to which they aspire.
Intangible Impact
with Young Athletes
In addition to providing shoes to the student-athletes at each event, I gave a brief talk about my personal journey with the sport and how track and field can be used as a tool to provide access to educational opportunity. Even if they didn’t have plans on running track in college, the sport has the ability to provide the kinds of lessons that can benefit in many other areas of life. I encouraged them to recognize that they already possess the ability to create a future that they want for themselves, whether that be on the track, in the classroom, or just in general. It was important to me that each student walk away from the events not only with a pair of track spikes, but with the inspiration to achieve as well.
My Personal
Mission
The enthusiasm and gratitude that the kids expressed after each event reminded us of how simple things like the right gear and a bit of real-life inspiration can make the difference between a student casually engaging in the sport and investing the kind of time and energy that can help them actualize their potential–potential that could afford them the kinds of academic and life opportunities track and field afforded me.
As someone from a working-class background, I saw myself in a lot of the students who the Foundation supported. The ethos for my activism in my previous work helping to save college track teams from elimination and my current work as the Executive Director of the Tracksmith Foundation is to help that kid whose name I will never know. That has been my guiding light–the motivating force behind my efforts. As the Foundation continues to grow and expand, I am excited by the prospect of extending our reach to more students and to more communities around the US, from urban communities to rural ones.
For the future of the Shoe Donation Program, my team and I look to increase the number of cities we impact as well as implement a service to support communities that we may not be able to visit in person. 2023 was a great start to one of the Foundation’s flagship programs and I am excited for opportunities to grow it in the years to come.
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Moves
Updates and reflections from the Foundation team and our latest initiatives.