The front display case of Lord Byng elementary is filled with rows of used shoes. They pile on top of each other on the shelves; some are pinned to the back wall.
Not a kid walks by without stopping to look at them, pointing out the ones she donated or telling his friend excitedly which ones are his favourite.
Since mid-April, the school has been collecting new or gently-used pairs of shoes for Ruben's Shoes, a fundraiser across the Lower Mainland that gives shoes to kids in a Dominican Republic community.
The Richmond chapter has been spearheaded by PAC fundraising chair Janet Yau. So far, the school has close to 200 pairs and wants at least 350 by its final date, next Thursday, May 9.
"The idea flowed naturally into our school's mandate for social responsibility," said Lord Byng principal Al Zarchikoff. "As kids outgrow their shoes, they can see where they go afterwards. We're an environmentally conscious school and this shows them how to reuse materials."
Yau read about Ruben's story in the newspaper a couple of months ago. Last December, a Port Moody resident Kelly Strongitharm visited her 10-yearold foster child, Ruben, in the Dominican Republic.
Shocked by the amount of kids unable to afford shoes, Strongitharm started the Ruben's Shoes fundraiser.
"I didn't realize there were kids who weren't wearing shoes because they couldn't afford them," said Yau. "So this has taught our kids a lesson about gratitude, compassion and empathy. It teaches them to not take basic necessities for granted."
Besides emotional learning, the fundraiser has prompted students to look up the Dominican Republic and read more about the country their shoes are going to.
Both Zarchikoff and Yau point to the uniqueness of a kids' initiative for kids, in helping the students better understand and appreciate the fundraiser.
They're able to relate to the excitement of receiving a new pair of shoes and can look beyond their community.
"When they see the shoes in the display case, or in the bin, they understand," said Yau. "When they come to drop them off, they say, 'This is for a little girl, or this is for a little boy.' It's very hands on.
"We obviously want to help locally as well, and as a school we do often reach out to the community. But this was also something we thought we could help with, and try out."
A group of kids gather around the drop off bin, excitedly picking up pairs and commenting on them, showing each other which ones they donated.
Ace and Ryan Murphy's mother donated 30 pairs. Yau's own son, six-year-old Tysen Nitta, has given 12 so far.
The sheer amount of shoes families had lying around the house can highlight the sentimental attachment our culture often has for material items.
Yau, a former marathon runner, donated 20 pairs after realizing she was only keeping her marathon shoes for these same sentimental reasons.
"I think it's a very good thing to do," said Luke Cox in Grade 4. "It's really good for the environment and it shows that inside, people are really good."
Many other schools have gotten on board through Yau's efforts, including Westwind, McKinney, Garden City and Hamilton elementary schools, and McMath secondary. Steveston, Thompson and West Richmond community centres are also accepting shoes.
Next Thursday, students and parents from Lord Byng will go around collecting the pairs.
The fundraiser culminates in the school's annual walkathon to promote fitness on Friday, May 10. This year, the students decided to dedicate their walk to Ruben. Strongitharm will visit the school before the walkathon to talk with the students and each student will load a pair of shoes into her van.
"Not all kids can afford to donate shoes," said Yau.
"But on the day of the pick up, I'll make sure there's enough for every student to give a pair so nobody feels left out."
Visit any of the listed schools and community centres to donate both kid and adult-sized shoes. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/RubensShoes.
