By Ankita Rao
Correspondent Gainesville.com
Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 9:54 p.m.
Most gifts are opened once, wrapping paper and bows abandoned, clothes and toys displayed proudly to party guests.
But this November, 9-year-old Sophia Gravenstein's friends came with a different kind of gift - a gift that would be opened by 96 children around the world.
Sophia was watching Good Morning America a couple of months before her birthday when she saw a story about Soles4Souls - an organization that donates shoes to children in the U.S. and around the world.
The shoes are not just to protect feet from cuts and infection.
They can also be a requirement for going to school, getting a job or replacing losses after a disaster.
Sophia decided that for her birthday party in November, her friends could help her support the effort by bringing slightly used or new shoes instead of gifts.
"There's a lot of activities that involve shoes that are fun, and it would be helping people at the same time," she said.
Sophia created invitations on the computer with images from the Soles4Souls Web site. She said it took her a week to make with the corrections and pictures.
Her mother, DeAnn Gravenstein, spoke to the organization and got a DVD to show the party guests who the shoes have helped in the past.
"It gives me goose bumps, I'm very proud," DeAnn said.
With 15 friends coming, Sophia and her parents set out a cardboard box, expecting about 20 pairs of shoes.
Sophia's father, Ditricht Gravenstein, organized a scavenger hunt for shoelaces. The girls decorated the laces with fabric markers and their own designs.
Ditricht said the family discusses being grateful and giving to those who need a helping hand. But he was still surprised when he heard Sophia's plan for her birthday.
"Kids can be a bit self-centered, but she was thrilled," Ditricht said. "She was always somebody who said she would do things herself."
By the end of the party, they needed an extra cardboard box. Ninety-six pairs of shoes were waiting to be shipped to Souls4Soles.
"It felt good to think about other people besides yourself," Sophia said.
Her idea didn't stop with blowing out her candles. Sophia's friends were inspired to have their own parties surrounding a cause.
Her neighbor, Annika Sawyer, will collect toys for an orphanage that her grandparents support. Another classmate is asking friends to bring animal feed for abused animals.
"The notion that you can have a party and fun around a charitable activity has to resonate," Ditricht said.
As for the 96 shoes, Sophia can choose where they will go to through Souls4Souls.
Her mother said she was thinking about Panama since a family friend came from the Latin American country. But Sophia said she isn't sure yet.
"Just the country needing the most shoes," she said.
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