Lace Up for Kids Give Away

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Every summer for the past 34 years, Eastside Community Ministry has partnered with WHIZ and Wendys to hold the Lace Up For Kids back to school shoe giveaway.

Over the years the event has expanded from just shoes to include other back to school necessities. Eastside Board Member Katie Graham explained how some of the recent partnerships have joined to make the giveaway closer to an extravaganza.  

“So this is the fifth year that we’ve held the health fair in conjunction with Lace UP,” Graham said. “Every year it gets bigger. We have Prince of Cuts, Lenny’s, Brigitta from Salon Sabatini is doing hair. That’s a big pull. The kids love the free hair cuts. We have the library’s here every year, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Allwell, MVHC doing vaccines, YMCA, so many partners here to help these kiddoes to start the year off right.”

The Lace Up For Kids program is a blessing for parents like Brooke Best who have multiple kids that also participate in extracurricular activities. 

“So for school supplies, shoes and clothes, getting all four of these kids ready for school this year, it’s going to cost me around $800. That’s everybody’s backpacks, everybody’s supplies, any other shoes that they may need, clothes. My oldest daughter is in band, so it’s challenging,” Best said. “(This means) a lot because this right here, they all got their tennis shoes for school so that right there checks off almost $200 off my list easily. So it’s a big help especially to a single parent.”

Over 1,100 kids were helped through this year’s Lace Up for Kids Event.