2008 Field Day Event Recap

On June 11th, the Deaf Elementary Department from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida, celebrated the end of school with their annual Field Day. Nearly 100 students ages 3 to 13 participated in the fun event.

Activities included water games, a dunking booth and a waterslide. There was also a delicious cook-out with hot dogs, snow cones and pop corn.

Students attended the event wearing bathing suits, decorated t-shirts and very special “water shoes” donated by Soles4Souls.

Soles4Souls on News4Jax.com

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Some local students who work constantly to overcome obstacles associated with being deaf and blind are walking a little more comfortably thanks to the Soles4Souls' donation of hundreds of pairs of shoes.

"We all feel that we have new shoes and they're really nice. We feel good about ourselves and we don't have to keep the old shoes. We've got new shoes now. We've got something different," new shoe recipient Chris said with the help of a sign language interpreter.

Chris was one of nearly 1,000 students at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine who has a new spring in his step thanks to some new shoes from Soles 4 Shoes.

Soles 4 Souls is an international charity dedicated to providing free footwear to disadvantaged people all over the world.

The founder of Soles4Souls, Wayne Elsey, said donating the shoes was a simple gesture that speaks volumes and that it was great time to help out with Christmas around the corner.

"Something so simple that we take for granted is making these kids smile," Elsey said. "A pair of shoes can help them and help their families especially around the holidays."

From an old pair of sneaks to a new pair of New Balance the new shoes were an upgrade that brought a smile to several kids' faces.

"I was like, 'Wow. I got some new shoes.' I was excited," Chris said. "I'm very grateful that the man was nice enough to give me the shoes. He was just giving them away for free to all of us."

FSDB Shoe Donation Picked Up by CBS Affliate

Soles4Souls has partnered with the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind to provide footwear for the school's students. Soles4Souls will provide more than 1,000 pairs of shoes to be distributed on Wednesday, November 28 on the School's campus. CEO and founder Wayne Elsey was interviewed by Jacksonville TV-47 CBS affiliate reporter Denise Douglas for the station's early morning local news program, prior to the shoe donation.

"We are thrilled to be working with such a wonderful institution to help these amazing kids," Elsey said. "They have overcome obstacles must of us can't imagine. Our hope is that this donation will help make their lives a little easier."

The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind is part of the public school system and is the largest school of its type in the United States, serving sensory impaired students statewide. Founded in 1885, the School serves 850 students and their families in pre-kindergarten though 12th grade. Most students live on campus in dormitories and return home on the weekends. Approximately 200 students live in the local area and attend as day students. Close to 70% of FSDB seniors go on to college or technical training centers and enter a variety of professional careers and trades.