NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The GEICO Philanthropic Foundation teamed up with nonprofit Shoes That Fit to provide 495 new pairs of athletic shoes to students at Richard Bowling Elementary School in Norfolk.

The collaboration, which began in 2021, is part of a larger initiative in which GEICO and Shoes That Fit are distributing over 30,000 pairs of new athletic shoes to students in need across the country. So far, the organizations have donated over 6,500 pairs of shoes in their 2024-2025 partnership.

On Thursday, March 27, members of the Norfolk Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. joined employee volunteers from GEICO’s Virginia Beach office to distribute shoes to students at Richard Bowling. Virginia State Senator Angelia Williams Graves and Norfolk City Treasurer Daun Hester were also in attendance alongside members of the Norfolk City Council and the School Board of the City of Norfolk. 

“This event warms my heart. To date GEICO has distributed over 30,000 pairs of sneakers to kids that are deserving, and the students today were excited about receiving new pairs of shoes,” said Maxine McNair, Claims Supervisor at GEICO and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. “Today’s event was awesome. We had representation from Norfolk city leadership with our councilmen, school board, Senator Angelia Graves and more. A job well done and I look forward to the next one.” 

For over 40 years, the GEICO Philanthropic Foundation has backed organizations providing programs and resources that strengthen communities around the country. This partnership with Shoes That Fit tackles one of the most visible signs of poverty in America by giving children in need new athletic shoes to attend school with dignity and joy.