38th CEIG helps provide 400 kids with new kicks

The 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group raised the bar for their quarterly Wingman Day.

Wingman events are typically social team-bonding and leadership development days that enhance office morale and build relationships. Additionally, the day is meant to celebrate accomplishments within the unit. For the group on the Hill however, they prioritize integrating community involvement whenever possible.

Oct. 6 was no ordinary day at Wheeler Elementary School. Several volunteers from the 38th CEIG, in partnership with the MetroShoe Project, provided a brand new pair of shoes to more than 400 students at the Oklahoma City school. The Project, which is a not-for-profit 501-3(c) organization was founded by MetroShoe Warehouse in July 2012 in an effort to give back to the community.

Members of the 38th volunteered their time in participating in the shoe event, but they also contributed to the project. As part of their Wingman Event, the group also raised enough money to provide a new pair of socks for every student in the school. Students were given socks after they were fitted with their brand new kicks.

Amidst the organized chaos, students were corralled into the cafeteria and were each measured and sized properly for their footwear. Next, a runner would bring a couple of different options so that the child could pick out their very own special pair. Grade-school kids started their Friday with a sense of true ownership; they had an opportunity to pick out a brand new pair of shoes, all to themselves. Not hand-me-downs from an older sibling, and not old ones with worn out soles.