MEDIA RELEASE

Waimea Middle School is asking its faculty, families and community for help. More than 70 students turned out recently for its free after-school Volleyball and Cross Country teams – a very good thing made possible by a lot of volunteer time by coaches and others. But not so good is the fact that many students don’t have safe, appropriate footwear for these sports and their families can’t afford to buy athletic shoes at this time.

But Teacher-Coach Mikiala Yardley knew he had an extra pair of shoes he rarely used and really didn’t need, and he quickly learned that staff in the school office had 3-4 pairs of well constructed and like-new athletic shoes they weren’t using. Into the washing machine they all went and they’re now being made available as needed.

So, Principal John Colson and Teacher-Coach Mikiala Yardley are now asking the rest of the school’s faculty, families and community friends to check in their closets for little used, perhaps unneeded pairs of athletic shoes. If you have one or two such pairs that you could spare, please toss them in the washing machine, let them dry thoroughly and then bring them to the middle school office, which is located on the south end of the parking lot adjacent to the school cafeteria.

Cash donations are also welcome and students will be asked to “match” donations for new shoes purchased. A local retailer has agreed to extend a discount for any shoes purchased.

Questions? Call Teacher-Coach Yardley (887-6090 Ext. 222 and leave a message for him), or call the school’s family-community liaison Patti Cook (937-2833).