Every student at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale has an extra spring in their step after receiving a new pair of name-brand athletic shoes, socks and books through the 4EveryKid initiative led by Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, and Soles4Souls.
“Kids grow so fast and that sometimes puts a financial strain on families to keep up. Sixty-nine percent of students expressed difficulty focusing in the classroom due to improper footwear. Shoes should never interfere with their learning and concentration,” said Case, who founded the 4EveryKid program in Broward County with Soles4Souls.
Rita and her husband Rick got involved with Soles4Souls in 2013. They began by providing coats and shoes for children at Boys & Girls Clubs in Broward County. Since becoming the founding sponsor and chief fundraiser for 4EveryKid Broward in Spring 2022, Rita has raised more than $575,000, which is enough to ensure all kids who face housing insecurity in Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) receive one new pair of shoes and socks every year for five years.
Soles4Souls is a global nonprofit that has distributed more than 550,000 pairs of shoes nationwide through the 4EveryKid program. Since Fall 2022, the organization has provided 15,849 pairs of shoes through the 4EveryKid program in Broward County in partnership with organizations such as BCPS Homeless Education Assistance Resource Team (HEART) and the Boys & Girls Clubs.
The 4EveryKid sneaker giveaway was made possible thanks to generous partners including Rita Case, Rick Case Automotive Group, Children’s Services Council of Broward County, UKG, United Way of Broward County, Channel 7 Foundation, The Cathy and James Donnelly Fund, and Rotary Club of Weston.
Founded in 1962, the Rick Case Automotive Group has been honored by Automotive News as the National All-Star Dealer and President and CEO Rita Case was named the 2024 TIME Dealer of the Year. Rick Case Automotive Group is the nation’s largest female owned and operated automotive dealer group in America, offering Honda, Hyundai, Genesis, Ioniq, Volkswagen, Kia, Acura, Audi, Mazda, Maserati, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Honda Motorcycles and E-Z-Go golf carts.
Soles4Souls creates opportunity for people through shoes and clothing. Through four key programs – 4Opportunity, 4Relief, 4EveryKid, and Solutions4Good – the organization drives measurable impact across economic development, education, health, and sustainability. Since 2006, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 112 million pairs of shoes and pieces of clothing in 139 countries.
