806 pairs of shoes donated through Panther Bank
Panther Community Bank in Lehigh Acres has donated a new pair of sneakers to a Lehigh school child for every new account relationship opened in 2008. These children had been barred from playing outside at recess or taking part in physical education for lack of a simple pair of sneakers, officials said.
The bank adopted Laces of Love as its official charity in 2007 before the bank even opened for business. This expanded Laces of Love, from its Naples headquarters to Lehigh Acres.
The Bank sponsored the Donny and Jeff Charitable Golf Tournament last February with proceeds benefiting Lehigh Laces of Love, held several sneaker parties, and ran an August Back-to-School Sneaker Drive.
In 2008, the bank donated 806 pairs of new sneakers through school guidance counselors in Lehigh schools.
Laces of Love provides new shoes (preferably sneakers) to low income and disadvantaged children in Lee and Collier counties, and educates the public on the needs of these children. “As the economy struggles in 2009, the need is more pronounced. It breaks our hearts to think of kids left behind in the classroom. And it warms our hearts when a child gets, what is often, their very first pair of new shoes. We can’t give up on these kids, so we will continue to donate a new pair of sneakers for every new relationship opened at Panther Community Bank. We think it means more to our neighbors and customers than receiving a beach blanket or cooler” said Karen R. Makowski, president and CEO of Panther Community Bank. Customers sign tags on the shoes which are donated in honor of new clients. DeAnn Krauss, Laces of Love board member, has been in contact with local schools, working with Harns Marsh Elementary, Veterans Park Academy, East Lee County High, Lehigh Elementary, Lehigh Acres Middle, Mirror Lakes Elementary, Varsity Lakes Middle, Sunshine Elementary, Lee Alternative Charter High School, and Lehigh Senior High School. Krauss also worked with Lehigh Community Services and several churches. The Lehigh Community Council held a sneaker party at its November meeting, according to Damon Shelor, the group’s president. The Back-To-School Sneaker Drive was supported by Classic CarWash2 which extended a $5 discount toward the purchase of any No. 3 or higher wash package when a new pair of sneakers was donated, said Jeff London, owner of the car wash.