Shoes, kindness go a long way

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007 | 7:43 a.m.

Jim McCluney, a casino shift manager for MGM Mirage, has never aspired to be a shoe salesman.

But on Friday there he was - checking the fit, threading laces and singing the praises of the latest styles.

"Are those too short?" McCluney said, pinching the toes of the sparkling-white sneakers on his customer's foot. "I'll be right back. Let me see if I can find something else for you."

Tiffany Singer, a third grader at Paul Culley Elementary School, sat patiently on the floor of the campus's multipurpose room and waited for McCluney to return.

"I love them," Tiffany told McCluney, after trying on a larger pair. "Thank you."

All 1,000 of Culley's students received new sneakers last week, courtesy of the nonprofit group Shoes That Fit. Shannon McBeath helped launch the local chapter of the national organization three years ago. Since then, the group has shod more than 8,000 students at seven schools.

The group spends about $20,000 per campus on the shoes. The Bellagio, where her husband, Bill McBeath, is president and chief operating officer, has been one of the largest supporters of the campaign. Shannon McBeath plans to get similar support from other area businesses and eventually provide new shoes to every child in need in the Clark County School District.

"We're going to do it, one school at a time," McBeath said.

Culley, a district empowerment school, receives extra money in exchange for stricter accountability. Empowerment schools are sponsored by a local business. On Friday dozens of volunteers from MGM Mirage, Culley's corporate partner, snipped tags off socks and provided impromptu lessons in tying bows. Outside the multipurpose room, students gathered on the concrete benches to admire the silver streaks and pink trims adorning their feet.

At Culley, less than a mile from the Jones Boulevard exit of U.S. 95, free and reduced-priced meals are provided to all students. New shoes are often a luxury for the children's families, second grade teacher Christina Cox said. Her students often show up in shoes that are ill-fitting, or in poor condition after being handed down by a sibling or relative.

Her students could barely contain their excitement Friday, skipping in place and bounding over to show her their sneakers.

Before heading back to their classroom, the children were persuaded by Cox to slip back into their original footwear.

"We have recess next," Cox said. "I'd like them to be able to go home with clean, brand-new shoes, at least for one day."

One third grader said she would be saving the new shoes at least through the weekend. In the meantime, she planned to keep the open box on her desk.

"These are the only new shoes I got," the girl said, deep dimples creasing her cheeks. "I want to look at them."