BRYAN, Texas — “You know, they always say it takes a village to raise a kid," said Kyra Wilson, Sneakers for Success volunteer.
"This is the village coming together to help raise the kids and make them happy,”
A Bryan native is bringing the community together to help spread some Christmas cheer.
For the Skill and Faith Athletes organization, it’s all about making sure local children wake up Christmas morning with a smile!
Richard Foster, the founder and executive director of the organization that originated in Irving Texas, is bringing his mission to his hometown.
"To experience the love, the joy, is why we want to put this on," said Foster.
"The one reason we push to giveaway bikes is to promote health and wellness,”
The organization partnered with the Neal Recreation Center to host their second annual Christmas Community Celebration Gift Giveaway.
Last year, they hosted a drive through celebration due to the pandemic.
Now, the community is full of excitement for it to finally come back in person.
“The event brings a lot of vendors together, so we're able to promote services that a lot of our families wouldn’t even think about,” said Foster.
Sneakers for Success was one of those services.
Marva bailey kick-started her mission earlier this year by providing free shoes to kids in need.
”I do this to also help single-parent moms,” shared Wilson.
As an organization, the team is providing new kicks and changing lives, all at one foot at a time.
"I think it’s really special to them to have this opportunity to do something for their kids with the help that they’ve all been needing,” said Jazmine Jones, daughter of a single mother.
Sneakers for Success gifted nearly 50 pairs of shoes this Christmas.
“It's amazing just seeing the smiles on the kid's faces as they looked at the shoes and they knew that they were theirs,” said Wilson.
Foster is now working towards launching an after-school development program in Bryan.
Anyone interested may email sfathletes@gmail.com or click here for more information.