Inspired by the required 10 hours of volunteer work that they had to complete their freshman year, seniors Jack Quinn, Will Bryson, and David Murray created Cleat Repeat 4 Kids.
Cleat Repeat 4 Kids collects new and used sporting shoes and sports equipment and donates what they collect to local organizations such as the Canal Alliance in San Rafael and the Boys and Girls Club of Marin and Sonoma County.
According to Bryson, the three got the idea for Cleat Repeat after they had felt unfulfilled with the community service work they had done for their social issues classes, where they baked food for Homeward Bound of Marin—a nonprofit provider of services and shelter to the homeless.
“We actually wanted to make a difference because we didn’t really feel good about it,” Bryson said. “We were just doing something because we had to.”
Bryson said that he, Murray, and Quinn all played baseball and love playing sports, and were looking to give back the community in a sports-related way.
“We all have a lot of old cleats in our closets that we’ve just outgrown that are still pretty nice and in good condition,” Bryson said. “So we thought, ‘what better than to take old cleats to kids, and give them to kids that don’t have cleats or can’t afford them, so they can go out and play their sports just like we did.’”
According to Bryson, Cleat Repeat 4 Kids has collected about 400 cleats in the 3 years since its inception.
Collection bins are located at Neil Cummins Elementary School, Saint Patrick Elementary School, and Joe Wagner Baseball Field in Larkspur.
After picking up the donations about 1 to 2 times each month, Bryson, Murray, and Quinn clean the shoes and bring them directly to the organizations, where they are able to see firsthand the kids whom they are helping.
Quinn said that he truly likes the work he does and that he likes being able to see the people his work affects and knowing that he is making a difference in the community.
“Whenever we bring the cleats down to a place, everyone is really happy with us,” Quinn said. “It makes me feel appreciated. You could do a lot of work and it couldn’t mean anything, but when I see the kids and their faces it shows that it meant something to them. It is always nice to donate something that has just been laying around in your house. You don’t use it, but it could mean a lot to someone else.”
Bryson said he believes that the kids who are helped by Cleat Repeat 4 Kids benefit in the long run because of the opportunity they are given to play sports.
“Its really nice to give back the community in a way that benefits everybody—give the kids a chance to play sports,” Bryson said.
Quinn said that when the three go to college next year he thinks his younger brother will take over and continue the work.
To learn more about Cleat Repeat 4 Kids, email [email protected].
