Student starts Barefoot Mile fundraiser at CVHS

Living in a well developed country, such as the United States, people often take little things, such as shoes, for granted. Today, style and brand of shoe matter the most to consumers. Unfortunately, this is the complete opposite for many people in developing countries around the world; walking barefoot is a daily dilemma for many.
Fortunately, The Barefoot Mile allows everyone to aid people in need of shoes. Junior Kayla Turney has taken the difficult challenge of organizing The Barefoot Mile to take place here at CVHS on Sunday, May 22  from 2:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. at the Trojan Stadium. 

The Barefoot Mile is an event supported by Mexico Shoeboxes, where participants donate new or gently used shoes and walk a mile barefoot. The shoes are then sent to needy towns or cities and orphanages in developing countries.
“Walking the mile barefoot is more symbolic than anything,” said Turney.

Many times, teenagers are characterized as rebellious kids who constantly yell and argue with their parents. However, Turney, is determined to show that teenagers are able to accomplish anything they set their mind to.

“The biggest thing that always bugs me is how people do not put faith into teenagers,” explained Turney.

She was greatly influenced after reading a book called Do Hard Things, which was written by teenagers.

“It talked about a girl who did the Barefoot Mile at her school and how she was able to collect over a thousand pairs of shoes for the cause,” said Turney. “The entire planning process has been very nerve racking and I have definitely learned a lot along the way.”

Currently, her goal is to collect a thousand pairs of shoes, but hopes that all the publicity will help raise awareness of her cause and significantly increase the number of shoes the event will collect.