HEART and SOLE

COEUR d’ALENE — The days of ragged sandals, busted sneakers and toes poking through worn-out shoes are over for 300 kids at the Lola and Duane Hagadone Boys and Girls Club in Coeur d'Alene.

"I got these last year," 9-year-old Trinity Doyle said as she set a pair of Birkenstocks on a table. The straps had lost their luster and begun to turn white.

"They used to be silver," she said.

On Thursday, though, she wore a brand-new pair of pink slip-on Vans, which brought a beaming and grateful smile to her face.

“I got Vans!” she squeaked. “I haven’t gotten new shoes in a year!"

Sitting next to her, Hunter Smith, 8, snacked on a cookie as he admired his new pair of tennis shoes.

"It's awesome," he said. "My dog chewed up the end of my shoes, and we can’t replace them."

Gabby Cook, 8, already had plans for her comfy new white shoes.

“All my sneakers are broken. They make a squeaking sound," she said, looking at the new shoes on her feet.

“I’m going to decorate mine!"

The Boys and Girls Club was a hive of excitement as the kids waited to be called to the area where Pumas, Sketchers, Nikes and more waited to be placed on happy feet.

The 300 pairs of shoes were a gift to the kids through the efforts of Rita and Rick Case, a compassionate couple who own car dealerships and have supported the Club in Coeur d'Alene since it opened three years ago.

Rita secured grants through Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based nonprofit that creates sustainable jobs and distributes new shoes and clothing to those in need internationally. The Cases worked with Soles4Souls the past two winters to distribute coats to the Club members. This was the first year they secured shoes for the kids.

"I’m totally committed to the mission of the Boys and Girls Club, which is to provide a positive place for the kids to come after school, get support for their homework, get support for camaraderie, positive mentoring as well," Rita said. "The Boys and Girls Clubs are challenged communities and they need additional support after school because most of the time the parents, or parent, are working. This provides a very healthy atmosphere for them instead of being at home in those communities."

Rita said her experience in the auto industry helped her be successful in securing these grants. She and Rick own nearly 20 dealerships from Florida to Ohio.

"I am just thrilled that I am able to spend the time to put my energy into making the contacts that it takes to get this donation,” she said. "The donations are available; other people could do it. I just feel like it’s what I do. I love to help others because I’ve been fortunate to be successful in my career as a car dealer, and I want to take the time and my skills — I have organizational skills and negotiating skills — to seek out different organizations that I can seek out that stuff for the Boys and Girls Club kids."

Duane and Lola Hagadone attended the distribution and smiled as they took in the merriment of the kids.

"I think our community is so blessed that the Cases have chosen Coeur d’Alene for their summer home," Lola said. "Because of their generosity and kindness, they have made a big impact in our community. I’d say to the Cases, ‘It doesn’t go unnoticed.’”

Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County Executive Director Ryan Davis said he was amazed what a pair of shoes can do for a child's confidence.

"With Club kids, we see blown-out flip-flops; we see that kind of stuff happen all the time," he said. "It’s nice to be able to have those shoes to keep the kids in action. We want to keep them engaged and having fun, and shoes are a very, very important piece.

“Shoes are connected to the heart.”

Info: www.soles4souls.org