28th Annual Shoes for Kids Program distributed 3,000 pairs from Rack Room Shoes to Houston children
Houston children benefited from the generosity of family footwear retailer, Rack Room Shoes this holiday season as they donated 3,000 pairs of shoes as part of their 28th Annual Shoes for Kids Program. 
The December 17, 2015 event was held in honor of Yolanda Black Navarro, a widely respected Houston community leader and program founder who passed away in November 2015. This was Rack Room Shoes’ eighth participating year.
The evening included a special dedication to Yolanda Black Navarro. Family members described the Shoes for Kids program as Navarro’s “absolute passion.”
“For the last 28 years, my mother fiercely advocated and promoted the Navigation Area Business Association’s Shoes for Kids program,” said Christian Navarro, her son. “She dedicated her time and resources to the program because she recognized the unique dignity and pride that new shoes give to children when they return to school.”
This year’s event was “certainly bittersweet without Yolanda’s presence” according to Joe Terrell, Rack Room Shoes Regional Manager. “We know her contagious spirit of generosity and care for others will live on as the community comes together to support families in need,” he said.
Local volunteers, Houston area businesses and corporate sponsors including Perry Homes, Halliburton and Whataburger, gathered at Austin High School to distribute the shoes to hundreds of families. Each child received professional sizing and a new pair of shoes from Rack Room Shoes, as well as a pack of socks donated by LaDeDa and GamesSport.
“Yolanda didn’t just imagine a better world, she created opportunities that made a real difference, especially for disadvantaged youth. It is a great privilege to play a role in her fight against poverty in the Houston area,” said Terrell.
Over the years, Rack Room Shoes has donated more than 20,000 pairs of shoes to Houston families through the annual event. The program’s mission is in line with the retailer’s dedication to provide footwear to at-risk children to improve their self-confidence and performance in school.
Additional corporate partners who are supporting this year’s event include Bull Shirts, Coastal Securities, Farouk Systems, Morales Memorial Foundation and Tom Lightsey.
For more than 90 years, Rack Room Shoes offers a wide selection of nationally recognized and private brands of shoes for men, women and children in comfort, dress, casual and athletic categories. For more information, visit Rack Room Shoes’ website at www.rackroomshoes.com.
photos courtesy of Rack Room Shoes