Spotlight: Mary McDowell Friends School

Leadership is an action sport.

Leadership isn’t something you sit back and watch go by, it’s something that requires you to get up and act. That is what Mary McDowell Friends School(MMFS) in Brooklyn, NY is reminding their student-athletes.

For the third year, the student-athletes of MMFS collected shoes throughout their school community partnering up with Soles4Soles providing shoes to the organization that helps needy individuals around the world receive essential footwear.

During the course of the three years, MMFS has collected over 3000 shoes!

Shoes are collected throughout the three different school buildings (elementary, middle, and upper) with shoe campaigns and messaging that take place for a month.

Athletic Director Justin Schumacher shared, “I wanted my leaders and athletes to experience a community service project that wasn’t too strenuous but was also very rewarding and meaningful. There is never enough good in the world and we want to do our part to produce positive change.”

Mary McDowell Friends School has utilized Lead ‘Em Up for the last year and as a result, each of the participating athletes gets a Lead ‘Em Up t-shirt to wear during the shoe collection.

The student-athletes love the experience of giving back and leading up their community.

“Oftentimes we think of nice and expensive shoes as a luxury but often forget there are people who are in desperate need of shoes. It was a great experience to take part in this event and give to people who are not fortunate enough to have the proper footwear,” said Junior Matteo Netto.

MMFS looks to continue its annual tradition with the hopes of growing its donation bigger and bigger each year.