Giving Back One Roof at a Time: DuraShield’s Kicks 4 Kids Sneaker Donation Program

This program is very personal to me, and my journey with Legg-Perthes disease, a condition that affects how blood flows to the hip joint. I was just a child when I was diagnosed, and for a long time, I had to wear ugly brown orthopedic shoes. While the other kids were rocking really cool sneakers, I was made fun of for my shoes and the leg brace I had to wear. I just wanted to have cool sneakers like everyone else.

That experience stuck with me, and right around the time that I was finally able to stop wearing the orthopedic shoes, Nike Air and Air Jordans came out, and that’s when my sneaker obsession began.

I knew what it felt like to be made fun of, and when I was thinking of ways I could give back to the community, it inspired me to start Kicks 4 Kids.

How the Program Works

For every roofing project we finish in the Green Bay or Fox Cities area, we donate one pair of sneakers to a child 16 years or younger – it’s that simple. The more roofs we install, the more kids we get to help. We typically complete between 200 and 300 roofs each year, which means that we have the opportunity to donate that many pairs of sneakers each year. Our goal is to be able to give away 500 pairs of sneakers a year. We’re always looking for more nominations and getting the word out about our program so we can help more deserving kids.

This program is very personal to me, and my journey with Legg-Perthes disease, a condition that affects how blood flows to the hip joint. I was just a child when I was diagnosed, and for a long time, I had to wear ugly brown orthopedic shoes. While the other kids were rocking really cool sneakers, I was made fun of for my shoes and the leg brace I had to wear. I just wanted to have cool sneakers like everyone else.

That experience stuck with me, and right around the time that I was finally able to stop wearing the orthopedic shoes, Nike Air and Air Jordans came out, and that’s when my sneaker obsession began.

I knew what it felt like to be made fun of, and when I was thinking of ways I could give back to the community, it inspired me to start Kicks 4 Kids.

One recent story that really hits home for us and shows exactly why we do this program is Donovan’s story. Nominated through Big Brothers Big Sisters, 15-year-old Donovan Duroy received a brand-new pair of Jordans. Here is a picture of me with Donovan with the new Jordans he picked out from Scheels in Appleton. Seeing that kind of joy is what keeps this program going.

How the Program Works

For every roofing project we finish in the Green Bay or Fox Cities area, we donate one pair of sneakers to a child 16 years or younger – it’s that simple. The more roofs we install, the more kids we get to help. We typically complete between 200 and 300 roofs each year, which means that we have the opportunity to donate that many pairs of sneakers each year. Our goal is to be able to give away 500 pairs of sneakers a year. We’re always looking for more nominations and getting the word out about our program so we can help more deserving kids.