Elementary students receive free shoes

Elementary school students from Springfield will go shoe shopping on Friday.

Students from Matheny-Withrow and Jane Addams Elementary got to pick out one pair of shoes from Shoe Carnival.

"Many of them have not even had a new pair of shoes, said Julie Weichert," Share the Spirt board member. "Maybe they were handed down in their family and for them to be able to figure out the shoes that they want just gives them such joy. It's just very heartwarming for them and it instills that sense of dignity and some empowerment that they got to do it themselves."

Students getting new shoes were made possible due to the Share the Spirt Foundation.

Share the Spirt Foundation has been providing new shoes to children for over 19 years.

Officials say almost 18,000 pairs of shoes have been distributed and more events are being planned each year.