All students at Gaines Elementary School on Thursday will be receiving a new pair of free shoes courtesy of Truist.
The giveaway will serve as a kickoff to a partnership with Classic City Collective, which represents student athletes at the University of Georgia.
Volunteers from Truist, Classic City Collective and the community community will give students a “Hope Tote” orange bag with their new athletic shoes, socks, an encouraging "Hope Note" message, and age-appropriate financial literacy materials from Truist.
This event is one of many that have taken place nationally in partnership with Truist. This is the third year of a three-year grant with Truist, serving a total of over 20,000 individuals so far with new shoes.
The Athens event will serve 600 of the 6,000 committed by Truist this year.
“Truist is excited to be partnering with Samaritan’s Feet to serve local Athens students, alongside volunteers from Classic City Collective and the community,” said Derold McIver, Community Development Manager at Truist. “This event is a great example of how collaborative partnerships across corporate, nonprofit, and educational institutions can maximize our impact and service within the communities where we live and work."
“At Classic City Collective, we're excited to partner with Samaritan's Feet. Their tireless work in communities both domestically and internationally is truly inspiring. Their efforts bring hope and encouragement to those who are less fortunate,” said Patrick Jacobs, VP of Strategic Engagement. “We admire their dedication to instilling values such as hard work, resilience, compassion, and following one's dreams. These are the same qualities we strive to instill in our student athletes, both on and off the field. We're grateful for the opportunity to work with Samaritan's Feet on future initiatives, which will allow UGA student athletes to make a real impact in their local community. Thank you, Samaritan's Feet, for partnering with us and helping us make a difference in someone's life.”
About Samaritan’s Feet International
Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian aid organization that serves and inspires hope in people by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities. In 2023, Samaritan’s Feet will celebrate its 20th anniversary as an organization and also strive to serve its 10 millionth person by the end of the year. Since its founding by Manny and Tracie Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its partners have served more than 9.9 million people in 109 nations and more than 590 U.S. cities. For more information about Samaritan’s Feet International, visit SamaritansFeet.org.
About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $543 billion as of September 30, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.
About Classic City Collective
Classic City Collective aims to be the nation’s foremost supporter-funded NIL facilitation platform to position Georgia Athletics and athletes from all 21 sports for sustained success. The Collective was created to provide opportunities for all of Dawg Nation to contribute and engage with the athletes they passionately support through a variety of NIL activities, including social media endorsements, in-kind promotional deals, appearances, meet and greets, autographs, and digital content. Their mission is to enrich, enhance and empower student athletes to better their lives, communities