[New York's] Cobble Hill Shop Collecting Shoes for Cambodian Youth

Runnin' Wild Kids Shoes on Court St. will accept footwear donations now through mid-March. 

By Joanna Prisco

http://carrollgardens.patch.com

 

They say you'll never truly understand a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. But a trip to his country could also go a long way toward establishing mutual respect.

When Runnin' Wild Kids Shoes employee Anna Malafronte, 17, visits Cambodia this spring, she will have played a role in furthering both causes. The Poly Prep student is currently collecting shoe donations at the Cobble Hill store, located at 276 Court St., to bring with her on a goodwill mission to the Southeast Asian country.

"A couple of years ago my school Poly Prep raised money to build a sister school in Cambodia," explains Malafronte, who works weekends at Runnin' Wild and was previously a babysitter for owners Anthony and Stacy Fauci. "Due to lack of funds and interest the school has not been able to formulate a trip to visit ours until this year. Now, a group of us will be going to Cambodia over spring break for 10 days."

The majority of the class trip will consist of working with their Cambodian peers, but students will also be visiting major cities such as Phnom Penh to experience other aspects of Cambodian culture.

"I think that going to a third world country such as Cambodia will open my perspective of our world," says Malafronte. "We will be working on different activities. Since we do not speak the same language, we will be doing creative and imaginative exercises with the kids, allowing them to express themselves in other ways such as acting and singing, and playing games such as soccer and tag."

The Poly Prep students will also be sharing the gift of shoes with the school children and their village. Naturally, the Faucis were all too willing to get involved, as their store was a perfect drop-off point.

The shoe drive at Runnin' Wild Kids Shoes will be accepting donations until March 15, 2013. Interested neighbors are encouraged to bring pairs in decent quality. All sizes apply, but sneakers and sandals are preferable. Those who donate will receive a $5 discount on the next purchase at Runnin' Wild.

"Our goal is to collect at least 100 pairs of shoes," says Malafronte. "But I hope our final tally will exceed far beyond that."