Glenville State College students in Education 351 and Physical Education 326 classes are once again conducting ‘Operation Sole Support for Physical Education’ collecting new and slightly used athletic shoes for physical education classes at Gilmer County Schools.
‘Operation Sole Support for Physical Education’ was created by GSC students who were observing physical education classes in the local schools and noticed that some children did not have tennis shoes to wear in gym class. Some students were only wearing socks which can be dangerous on slippery floors. The GSC students decided that it would be a good service project to collect some shoes that could be used by students who needed them.
Students in GSC Associate Professor of Physical Education Janet Bailey’s Physical Education classes
are conducting ‘Operation Sole Support for Physical Education.‘
“Being from Gilmer County, I know some of the hardships that some people in the area go through. So I believe by giving shoes to those students who need them for class will be a great help to those kids and their parents as well,“ said GSC Robert L. Stump a sophomore Education major from Glenville (Gilmer County), West Virginia.
GSC students will be collecting new and almost new tennis shoes through the end of March 2013. These shoes will be given to the two physical education instructors in the Gilmer County School System. The teachers will determine which students are most in need of the gym shoes. Grades 1-5 are the target group so any size that would fit an elementary student can be used. There will also be a ‘Sox Box’ for sock donations to be given to the school children as well. Shoe and sock donations can be dropped off in collection boxes located in the GSC PE and Health Building. Monetary donations will also be accepted for the project at the GSC Athletic Department office.
‘Operation Sole Support for Physical Education’ has donated athletic shoes to Gilmer County High School.
(L-R, F) Gilmer County High School Physical Education Instructor Joe Brennan, GSC track & field athlete TJ Able,
(L-R, B) Gilmer County High School Physical Education Instructor Waylon Kincaid,
GSC softball player Shelby Colson, and GSC track & field athlete Robert Stump.
‘Operation Sole Support for Physical Education’ was started in the fall of 2011. To date, GSC students have collected over one-hundred pairs of shoes that have been donated to Gilmer County Schools.
“Collecting new and barely used tennis shoes to distribute to local school children has become a tradition for the students in PED 326 (Teaching Physical Education in Elementary Schools). It is refreshing to see our students taking civic responsibility for others especially the young students they will be teaching very soon,“ said GSC Associate Professor of Physical Education and Athletic Director Janet Bailey.
For more information about ‘Operation Sole Support for Physical Education,‘ contact Bailey at “Janet.Bailey@glenville.edu” or 304.462.6220.