Devin Scillian: The profound effect of giving a kid new shoes

Devin Scillian, Anchor/Reporter

I’m still adjusting to my return from Paris, and so is my Apple Watch. My watch seemed a little confused as the miles kept piling up during the Olympic assignment; while the transit options were numerous and efficient, there was no getting around the fact that getting around was going to require a lot of getting around. We were walking quite a few miles every day to the point that I and photographer Erik Yettaw actually found ourselves needing new shoes.

I made my way to, of all things in Paris, a Foot Locker, fairly certain I could find shoes that were up to the mileage required rather than just being up to the style demands of one of the world capitals of fashion. As I sat down to try on the cushiony workhorses I found, I had that feeling that always comes with a great pair of new shoes. It was that “put the old shoes in the box, I’m wearing these home” experience. And, I’ll note, life running from venue to venue was suddenly much, much better. Delightful, even.

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I thought about that moment as we, in partnership with Lace Up Detroit, collected thousands of pairs of new shoes Tuesday. At the risk of sounding like Carrie Bradshaw, brand new shoes are amazing. As we were sorting and stacking the shoes that were being delivered (once again by Detroiters, some of the givingest people in the world) I kept opening the boxes to peer inside at what I knew was going to be so treasured and celebrated soon by kids heading into the new school year. I thought back to the start of school those many years ago and how it always included a trip to the store (the PX in my case) for some new clothes and a new pair of sneakers. But that’s not easy for every family and I was mindful of that today. And what I quickly realized was that it all registered with so many others in exactly the same way it did with me.

One of them was Larry Kraft of Serta Restokraft Mattress. He called last night to tell me he had seen our newscasts Monday and our appeal for help with our Go 4 It event. Larry, too, sees the simple magic of a new pair of shoes on a child. He not only donated $15,000 to the cause he also reached out to his friend Rachel Stewart of Gardner White Furniture. He told me that she said, “Larry, you never ask me for money.” That meant that when he did ask, it meant something, and Rachel decided to match Larry’s generous donation. But whether you’re Larry Kraft or you’re one of the many of more modest means who came by to donate, I was moved by the understanding that sending a child off to a new school year with a brand new foundation under their feet is a profound act of kindness and grace. It’s an investment in that child, which is an investment in our community, in our city.

Marilyn Monroe said, “Give a girl the right shoes. She can conquer the world.”

Yeah. Something like that.

---> Go 4 It: How to donate to Lace Up Detroit for kids athletic shoes