As GSF Foundation committees concluded the 2024 Best Foot Forward program, students across the U.S. stepped into confidence with brand-new athletic shoes, ready to embrace outdoor activities and exercise. This year’s donations marked a milestone for the Foundation, with more than 35,000 pairs of shoes donated since the program's inception. An impressive 70% increase in shoes donated year over year, Best Foot Forward benefitted 1,412 additional children in 2024 compared with last year.
Seventeen local committees supported more than 3,500 children nationwide, promoting physical fitness and fostering a lasting community impact. The Opelika, Alabama GSFF team achieved its own milestone, donating a record high of 822 pairs of shoes to local students this year.
“Our Foundation team unanimously agreed that delivering 800 pairs of shoes to two schools made for the best day ever,” said Melissa Richardson, Senior Administrative Assistant and GSF Opelika Foundation Chair. “Both schools prepared programs, showed incredible organization, and welcomed us like rock stars. The smiles and happiness of the children were contagious, and their gratitude was indescribable. It was a goosebump day for sure.”
Supporting GSF’s longstanding partnership with McDonald’s owner/operator The Mendez Group, QCD Chicago West delivered 831 pairs of shoes to children through partnerships with local nonprofits earlier this year. Additionally, KanPak Kansas helped ease financial stress for parents by collaborating with a local shoe company to provide vouchers for new athletic shoes to all incoming fifth graders in the community.
“Our South Haven parents were incredibly impressed by the Foundation’s generosity and the Best Foot Forward program,” said Tina Grillot, Training Specialist and GSFF Co-Chair at KanPak’s Arkansas City, Kansas location. “Many expressed gratitude for the support during the exciting, but costly and stressful back-to-school season.”
In Phoenix, the QCD team worked with local nonprofit to donate nearly 302 pairs of shoes to two Boys & Girls Club locations. One GSFF volunteer reflected on a memorable experience that captured the program’s life-changing impact:
“One of many precious moments we experienced involved a child in a wheelchair whose feet and legs didn’t align straight, making it challenging to find his shoe size,” said Anna Quesada, Human Resources Generalist and GSFF Assistant Chair, QCD Phoenix. “Mike Aparicio, from QCD, patiently found him a pair of shoes that fit perfectly. The child was so excited that he started doing donuts in his wheelchair, eager to join the fun. The glow in his eyes and his smiles were amazing for all of us participating in this event.”
Other teams like QCD Orlando, partnered with local elementary schools to make a difference. One volunteer described the program’s transformational power:
“When I think of this program, I’m reminded of Cinderella and how a pair of shoes changed her life,” said Elyse Payne, Senior Regional Safety and Training Manager and GSFF Program Chair for QCD Orlando. “We do the same thing for children with this program. By giving a child new shoes, we provide them the ability to thrive, walk, run, and conquer the world.”
Additional committees participating in the 2024 Best Foot Forward program included GSF’s Centralized Leasing (St. Louis, Missouri); GSF Burleson, Texas; Conyers, Georgia; City of Industry, California; Irvine, California; KanPak Penn Yan, New York; and seven QCD locations nationwide, including Albuquerque, Charlotte, Chicago East, Fontana, Los Angeles, Miami, and Suffolk. Together, these teams work to address rising obesity rates among at-risk children while improving attitudes and fostering greater self-esteem.