Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland dance and sing together for the Barefoot Dance-A-Thon Friday at the club in Cleveland, Tenn.
Micaela Frye helpes Hailey Murray, 9, decorate a card for orphans in Africa as part of the Barefoot Dance-A-Thon Friday at the Boys & Girls Club in Cleveland, Tenn. Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland partnered with "Shoes for Orphaned Souls" to raise money to buy shoes for children in Africa. In celebration of the money they raised , the club put on an event for the children full of music and dancing.
The children of the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland watch as one of the girls plays a game to win a prize during the Barefoot Dance-A-Thon Friday at the club in Cleveland, Tenn. Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland partnered with "Shoes for Orphaned Souls" to raise money to buy shoes for children in Africa. In celebration of the money they raised , the club put on an event for the children full of music and dancing.CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Soon there will be some children in Africa with shoes, thanks to local kids who went dancing barefoot.
The Cleveland Boys and Girls Club joined with an organization called Shoes for Orphan Souls to make it happen.
Club members, ages 6 to 17, raised money by getting sponsors for a Barefoot Dance-A-Thon on Friday at the clubs' Tucker Unit on Third Street.
Jennifer Burke, on the club's staff, said she has a friend who raised money in August for Shoes for Orphaned Souls.
"I asked how can I help you. He said, well, you are creative. You can think of something," she said.
"The people in our community give to the club. I thought it was important to teach the kids to give back too," she said.
"So, we thought, what do kids like to do? Well, they love to dance," she said. "From there we decided to make it a barefoot dance-a-thon to add a little extra."
There was another contest, perhaps even more fun: Kids filled jars with contributions, and whoever collected the most got to throw a pie in the face of his or her favorite staff person.
Kids who didn't get in on the other fundraising made greeting cards to go along with blankets made by Lee University students, and the shoes purchased with dance-a-thon proceeds.
Aliysha Wilkerson said it all makes her feel happy.
"I asked people at church to help," Aliysha said.
Shaelynn McFarland said "dozens and dozens of people," including her teacher, pitched in for the African children.
"I feel glad and helpful," she said.