Grafton Paraprofessional & Aides Association's Shoe Drive

The Grafton Paraprofessional and Aides Association’s (GPAA) week-long drive to collect new and gently used shoes garnered 775 pairs of footwear that will be given to local charity organizations. Helping organize the footwear are (kneeling, left to right, Darlene Griffin, Lisa Kison, Laura Jette, Christine Karrels; and, standing, Sally Gentilli, Eva Partridge, Tammy Dutter, and Greg Holz.

The shoes, sandals and boots that were collected have been donated to the Ozaukee Volunteer Center, which will distribute the donated items to various charities, GPAA President Lisa Kison said.

“Our members, who are dedicated to making sure all Grafton students receive a great education, wanted to give back to our community which supports Grafton’s schools and staff,” Kison said. “This is our way of saying thank you to our community and to show what we can accomplish when all work together for one cause.”

Darlene Griffin, who chaired the GPAA’s Sharing Our Soles Committee, said she was in awe of the outpouring of support for the drive.

“When we first came up with the idea of a shoe drive we knew our community would be generous, but they surpassed our expectations.” Griffin said. “The generosity and support of our community and our local businesses never ceases to amaze me.”

The Grafton Paraprofessional and Aides Association is the labor union that represents 41 classroom and students’ aides in the Grafton School District.

The following businesses donated coupons and gift certificates to the drive: Best Friends Veterinary Clinic, The Bloomin' Olive, Cornerstone Community Bank, Culvers, Domino's Pizza, Grafton Ski & Cycle, Grafton State Bank, Hair Profilers, Investment Center of Grafton, Just 4 Fun, Little Caesars Pizza, Nutro Products, Ozaukee Bank, Pick ‘n Save, Recognition Specialists, Starbucks, Taco Bell and Dr. Dan Witkowski.

- Submitted by Robbyn M. Marcinkevic

Posted May 30, 2008

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