High school basketball player launches shoe drive to help students in Henry County

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A high school basketball player has partnered with local businesses to provide shoes to Henry County students.

16-year-old Caleb Sanders says when you play a team sport, you care about your teammates.

“It is tough to see that sometimes. That’s the reason I’m trying to help them,” Caleb said.

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Sanders noticed some of his teammates at Eagles Landing Christian Academy, and those on teams they played against, didn’t own a good pair of sneakers.

Joe’L Montez knows how important that can be to kids.

“It’s just a great feeling. Because me as a kid, getting my first pair of Jordans was like a big deal,” Montez said.

Montez is the co-owner of Sneaka Plug in Stockbridge.

His business and several others in town are partnering with Sanders to donate as many pairs of new or gently used shoes they can and give them away to local students from kindergarten to 12th grade before school starts up again.

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The program is called Kicks 4 Kids.

“I am really impressed by him at such a young age to have a heart,” Stockbridge Mayor Pro Tem Yolanda Barber said about Sanders.

Barber said Sanders asked the city council to get involved and she was all in.

Sanders said the effort will truly make a difference.

“If you have shoes that you think look good, you’ll feel good. It’ll make you feel better in a sport and play better,” Sanders said.

The Kicks 4 Kids shoe drive takes place Saturday, July 1, and again on the 15th at Stockbridge First United Methodist Church along North Henry Boulevard.

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