Last year, a high school sophomore in Atlanta spent his daily commute home from school brainstorming ideas for his Eagle Scout project. An avid cross country and track runner whose 4×400-meter relay team won at Nike Indoor Nationals this winter, Collin Maher knew he wanted to give back to his community with a running-related project.
Everyday, he drove past an elementary school attended primarily by economically disadvantaged students. What if he combined his passions to help those kids?
Maher came up with a two-part plan. He organized a 5K race to raise money to give new shoes to every student at Lake Forest Elementary School. He secured permits, requested road closures, and registered the race so it would be USATF-certified and an official qualifier for Atlanta’s premier annual running event, the Peachtree Road Race. He even managed to get a sponsor for the 5K, which he called the Cocoa Classic.
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Maher’s event raised $18,000, and he partnered with the nonprofit Shoes That Fit to outfit all 629 students at the elementary school with new shoes. On the charity’s website, the Boy Scout said, “The families there, their priority is not buying new shoes, it’s making sure they have food on the table. I drive by that school every day. And I know a new pair of shoes can boost your confidence. A bad pair of shoes can hurt your feet.”
Teachers sized their students, and last week, Maher arrived on the school’s campus with hundreds of shoe boxes in tow. A Fox 5 reporter wrote that some children yelled, “I love you, Collin,” as they opened their boxes.
“They’re overwhelmed with emotion, I am too just to see this,” said Principal Laryn Nelson, “I’ve never experienced this in my career, and I’ve been doing this 30 years.”
Writer
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she’s written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner’s World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
