Every student at Lugonia Elementary receives new shoes through community partnership

REDLANDS, Calif. — More than 550 students at Lugonia Elementary School received new athletic shoes Oct. 21 through a partnership between Stater Bros. Charities and the nonprofit Shoes That Fit.

Every student at the school received a pair of shoes from brands including Nike, Saucony and Skechers, along with shoe charms, reusable shopping bags and fresh produce donated by Stater Bros. Charities.

As she tried on her new shoes, transitional kindergarten student Victoria Garcia was already excited about running in them.

“They’re going to make me super fast, supersonic!” Garcia said.

Many students put their new shoes to use right away, playing hopscotch, kicking balls, climbing and racing one another at recess after the distribution.

Shoes That Fit provides new athletic shoes to children in need, helping them participate comfortably in school activities, including physical education and recess.

Ahead of the distribution, Lugonia's PTA measured students' shoe sizes to ensure each child received a properly fitting pair. Teachers collected shoes for absent students, while organizers provided extra pairs for newly enrolled children.

“They are so comfy! I like the color,” said Roohaniyat Bhasin, a kindergartner.

Students also received additional items courtesy of Stater Bros. Charities: their choice of shoe charms, a reusable shopping bag and fresh produce.

“I got a flower charm I’m going to put on my shoes,” Bhasin said. “I’m going to wear them every day!”

PTA members, Shoes That Fit representatives and Stater Bros. Charities volunteers, including employees from the top-fundraising Lugonia Avenue store, helped organize and distribute the shoes.

The Stater Bros. store at 1775 E. Lugonia Ave. raised the most money among participating locations, prompting Shoes That Fit to select nearby Lugonia Elementary as a recipient, according to Natalie Ovcharenko, associate manager of strategic partnerships for the nonprofit.

Lugonia Elementary is a Title I school where more than 85% of students are classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged, according to the 2026 California School Dashboard.

The donation was part of a Southern California fundraising campaign that raised more than $766,000 for Shoes That Fit, marking the largest single donation in the nonprofit's history, according to the organization.

The organizations previously partnered with Kellanova to provide new athletic shoes to students at Franklin Elementary School in Redlands in March 2025.

This article was produced by a new release from Redlands Unified School District.