MILWAUKEE — It’s been 10 years of growth for JaCarrie Carr. His nonprofit, JaCarrie Kicks for Kids, hosted dozens of kids for its 10th annual back-to-school drive on Friday.
“At this event, the kids were able to get book bags or supplies (and) a free haircut or hairdo. They can get a brand new pair of shoes,” Carr said.
TMJ4 News last spoke with Carr in Februaryas he collected shoes, preparing for this moment.
Friday he offered up more than 600 pairs of shoes all in hopes of helping kids feel confident going back to school.
“Just so they can go back to school at the beginning of the year fresh to death, nice cut, and looking like their peers. They don’t have to worry about being bullied,” Carr said.
Carr said he remembers the days of not going to school with the freshest shoes on his feet. It’s something he doesn’t want kids today to ever have to worry about.
"I started to buy shoes and as I came back to school they'd say 'ahhh.' So, they stopped talking about me and they started liking my style,” Carr said.
Students said they’re thankful for his story, his mentorship, and time.
“It's important because if you don’t have a good leader, you wouldn’t know what to do,” said Kenya Ali.
Carr said the shoes are only part of his greater plan.
“While your goal was trying to get good grades to impress us, you really just did what you needed to do to set yourself up for the next phase of life,” he said.
You can learn more about JaCarrie Kicks for Kids by clicking here.
