On Tuesday, March 23, 2017, the 10th annual Happy Feet project was held for 90 Latta School District students in greatest need. These students went on a shopping spree at Goody’s in Dillon to purchase $24,000 worth of much needed items, including shoes, socks, pants, under garments and clothing accessories. The Happy Feet project is held each spring to help these students replace shoes and clothing they have grown out of from the beginning of the school year. The hope is that this new clothing will carry them through the Spring and Summer until they can purchase new clothing for the next school year.
The project is funded through the combined efforts of the Latta Rotary Club with a Rotary International Matching grant of $6,000, savings and discounts from Goody’s in Dillon of 20%, the Latta Schools Educational Foundation and the Latta School District donating $5,700, and the Latta High School Interact Club and all Latta School’s students and faculty raising $8,000.
Each of the 90 students purchased approximately $266 in retail clothing with a net total cost after Goody’s discount savings of $19,700. Approximately 15 Latta Rotary Club members volunteered along with 40 Latta School District Staff members and 8 Latta High School Interact club members to help the students shop for their clothing.
The original Happy Feet program began with the Mt. Pleasant Rotary club purchasing shoes for needy students. The Latta project differs somewhat in that it includes other clothing items that these students also desperately need. Each student purchased at least one pair of shoes and additional clothing attire. This Latta Project partners exclusively with Goody’s on this event because of the dedicated staff giving their time for the event and the great generosity of Goody’s in the additional financial support of the cost. Special thanks are extended to Goody’s manager David Brown and his staff.
Latta Rotarians Corky Lane, Patty Griffey, Rob Lesser, Marsden Cox and Ronnie Gardner worked tirelessly bagging clothes and helping students to maximize their purchases. Rotarians Robert McIntyre, Amanda Morrell, John Kirby, George Liebenrood, Laurel Hayes, Donna Edwards, Joan Ervin, Casey Pitts, Dewitt Coleman, Walt Brown and Glenn Green, III, helped guide students with shopping choices and sizes. These Latta Rotarians exemplified the “Service Above Self” Rotary Motto for the Latta High School Interact Club that they sponsor to help these students strive to become future Rotarians and leaders in our communities and the world. A very special thank you goes to Latta Rotarian Ronnie Gardner and East Coast Housing for being a major funding donor for this event.
Many thanks and hugs were given to the Latta School Principals Dollie Morrell, Debra Morris, and Leigh Sloan for their generous efforts in planning and managing the successful school fundraising events. They each gave many thanks to their students and parents for supporting this cause.