JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Over 100 children in need from the area received a pair of shoes after a large effort from the community and University of Jamestown.

The shoe donation was held in a joint effort between Samaritan’s Feet and the University of Jamestown. The mission is to inspire hope through the gift of shoes, the act of washing feet, and provide encouragement to those who need it most.

On Saturday, February 10th, children in grades K-5 in Jamestown came to the Harold Newman Arena for a free pair of sneakers that were donated either from a University student, faculty/staff member or community member.

The night before the distribution, University of Jamestown Men’s and Women’s basketball coaching staff went barefoot to raise awareness of the fundraiser as well as donations of shoes.

University of Jamestown Athletic Director Sean Johnson reports that the goal was 150 pairs of shoes, which was greatly exceeded.

221 total pairs of shoes were raised. This adds to the total amount of shoes that have been raised in North Dakota as a whole. Johnson pointed out that they were able to give a pair of shoes to 170 kids.

According to Denise Blomberg, Regional Director, Operations of Samaritan’s Feet, states that since 2013, over 5,000 pairs of shoes have been distributed in North Dakota in 7 different cities.

Below are some photos from the event courtesy of Sean Johnson and the University of Jamestown.