The Rotary Club of Edmonds Service Committee collected 119 pairs of shoes to benefit the Clothes For Kids nonprofit organization. The shoes were donated from the Edmonds community during a shoe drive that ran from Feb. 26-March 25.

“We were very excited to see the generosity of our Edmonds community,” said Elise Hegrat, a Rotary member who has been active in the service committee. “We don’t always want our members to pay the price for our efforts. We like to involve the community in some of the services we provide.”

Clothes For Kids is a local nonprofit organization provides school wardrobes to students in need who attend school in the Edmonds School District. The Rotary Club of Edmonds partnered with Clothes For Kids to assist in collecting the shoes in sizes baby to adult for girls and boys.

Alison Alfonzo Pence, who chairs the service committee, worked with Elise Hegrat, Nancy Hurtl, Theresa Ibler and Club President-Elect Suzanne James to collect the shoes.

“We met with Lani Griggs, program coordinator with Clothes For Kids. She explained the need and we took up the challenge,” Pence said. “We contacted several local organizations, businesses, government agencies, churches and schools. We were amazed at the number of people who answered the call and agreed to host a collection box in their buildings.” Then there was the big push to announce to the public the need and where to drop off their donations. “It was slow in the beginning, but toward the end of the shoe drive it picked up,” Pence said. “Seeing the amount of shoes we collected was heartwarming!”

The Rotary Club of Edmonds will be giving Clothes For Kids a check for $1,000 for them to buy extra shoes so that by the next school year in September there will be plenty of shoes for the kids who need them.