Riverstone - Riverstone Donates $2,300 to Sole Loved

Staff with the Riverstone Homeowners Association recently donated $2,300 in proceeds from this fall’s Wicked Fun Run to charity Sole Loved, a non-profit whose mission is to bring hope and joy to children one pair of shoes at a time.

About 30 pairs of shoes were also donated to Sole Loved from the event.

Seventy-three people participated in the run, which offered competitive and non-competitive categories. All registration fees collected were given to Sole Loved.

“We were very pleased with the participation and that we were able to help this worthy charity,” said Solomon Delaney, Lifestyle Director for Riverstone and race organizer. “We hope next year’s race will draw even more participants.”

Sole Loved was founded in 2017 by Stacy Bourgeois after a chance incident that changed her life.

“The night I realized that this was something that I had to continue doing was the night I gave the shoes off my feet to a teen girl,” Bourgeois said. “She was homeless, barefoot, had absolutely nothing but the clothes she was wearing and a tiny backpack to carry all her belongings. It broke my heart.”

Since then, the organization has partnered with 62 local, Title 1 and low-income schools, working directly with school social workers to bring shoes to thousands of children in need. This year alone, Soled Loved has provided more than 3,000 low-income children with brand-new socks and shoes.

“Shoes are expensive, especially for parents who are trying to decide between feeding their families and paying the bills,” Bourgeois said. “Shoes just aren’t a priority for those families, and that’s where we come in. If we can relieve that financial burden off a family in need, or in crisis, then we are doing something good.”

The run has attracted several sponsors, including PNC Bank, Si Environmental, LLC and The Chemist Pharmacy. Next year’s Wicked Fun Run is slated for Saturday, Oct. 21.

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