Richmond churches give away 1,500 pairs of new shoes

Kemon McEachern is walking into Albert Hill Middle School today with a new pair of Adidas shoes -- a thought that brought tears of joy to his grandmother, Marie Harris.

Harris usually buys new shoes for her grandchildren, but this year the slumping economy got in the way. So she joined thousands of people yesterday in line at Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church for a shoe giveaway sponsored by three downtown churches.

After her daughter Danielle Rhames had helped the two boys, Kemon, 12, and Chris Rhames, 9, find the shoes they needed, Harris hugged pastor Daryl Kearney and tearfully thanked him.

This is the third year the church has sponsored a shoe giveaway, and the second year that they've been joined in the effort by Sixth Mount Zion Baptist and Centenary United Methodist churches.

Last year, the churches gave away 700 pairs of new shoes. This year, they doubled the number with some corporate help. Marshalls donated 400 pairs of shoes and Wal-Mart donated a $500 gift certificate to buy shoes, said Tyrone Nelson, pastor of Sixth Mount Zion.

Nelson said that next year he'd like to have enough sponsors to offer 5,000 pair of shoes and have the event at the convention center.

The two pastors said they were surprised by the response. People started forming a line at 4:15 a.m., and by 7:30 a.m., a half-hour before the doors opened, the line circled the block.

"The end of the line was at the beginning of the line," Nelson said. "It's incredible. It shows that the need is there."

Sisters Michelle and Lechelle Whitaker arrived at 7 a.m. with their six children, who ranged in age from 5 to 13 years old. As they left about four hours later, Kiyelle Whitaker, a 13-year-old at Henderson Middle School, raised his hand first when asked who had the best pair. His white sneakers had orange and purple shoelaces with bright green soles.

TéNye Johnson, 7, and her mother, Tonia Baylor, were just as pleased by a pair of Mary Janes with a Hello Kitty charm.

"I just lost my job," Baylor said, adding that the line for shoes was "a little long, but it was worth the wait."

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or .