photo by: Courtesy of Anthony Harvey

Anthony Harvey, right, is pictured with his best friend, JD Woods. The two turned a passion for sneakers into a charity, Kicks 4 Kids, that is heading into its fifth year of giving away new pairs of shoes to the kids of Lawrence.

After starting as a spur-of-the-moment idea from two longtime best friends during the difficult 2020 summer, the Kicks 4 Kids giveaway has become an annual event in Lawrence — and is returning this weekend for its fifth year.

Anthony Harvey, one of the two men who run the giveaway, said the idea of gathering shoes for kids and giving them away before the school year came from his best friend, JD Woods. The two met in third grade after Woods moved to Lawrence, and they quickly grew close by playing football, basketball and baseball together.

Harvey said he and Woods had a passion for — and a large collection of — sneakers. As adults, they still remember that love for new kicks and wanted to help more kids experience it.

“We thought it would be a cool idea for kids to be able to come to get free shoes,” Harvey said. “We want to share that passion.”

Harvey said Kicks 4 Kids has given away about 150 pairs of shoes each year since the giveaway started. Given the turbulent times during the uncertainty of the early COVID-19 pandemic — people lost jobs; people were sick — Harvey said the support he and Woods received from the Lawrence community that first summer felt like a blessing. And that drives them to make a bigger impact each year.

“It made us want to keep doing this summer after summer,” Harvey said. “We have to hold ourselves to a standard where every year has to be better.”

Harvey said he and Woods collect pairs of new or slightly used shoes from individual donors — with many calling him during the winter saying they have shoes ready for the summer — but the two have also received donations and help from Haskell Indian Nations University, Kansas Athletics, Baker University and Newman University in Wichita. Harvey attended Newman University while Woods went to Baker University in Baldwin City.

On donation day, which this year is Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Lawrence High School, Harvey said, any family can come to the event and pick out a new pair of shoes, no registration or sign-up required.

Harvey said seeing the kids get to pick any pair and not have to worry about the price is immensely satisfying, and he knows how much it helps the whole family, having watched his own parents work so hard to provide for him as a kid.

“It’s part of what we keep doing it for,” Harvey said.

Along with the sneaker giveaway, Harvey said, Kicks 4 Kids looks to do some fundraising for Lawrence organizations that help provide a safe place for kids in the community. In previous years, the organization has helped raise donations for the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence and Van Go.

Saturday’s event will include some refreshments like coffee and doughnuts along with some folks grilling out. To Harvey, the build-up of the final week can be a bit stressful, but the giveaway day feels like a family reunion.

“You just have to be a good person in Lawrence, and the people of Lawrence will take care of you,” Harvey said.