By James Robertson
Cedar Creek Lake Television
When most 7-year-old girls are asked what they want for their eighth birthday, the answer is usually a new doll or maybe even a puppy. When Amanda Beets asked her 7-year-old daughter Rachel what she wanted, the answer blew her away. Rachel wants 900 pairs of shoes, but not for herself.
Rachel Beets turns eight on Jan. 31, 2014 and for her birthday she wants to give 900 pairs of shoes to local children who have been neglected and abused.
Rachel’s vision is that all kids have shoes to play outside, just like her. She loves shoes and believes that all children deserve a pair of “fast runners.” After all, to a 7-year-old, brand new shoes make you run super fast.
Rachel’s parents weren’t sure they could make something like this happen when they first heard this is what she wanted for her birthday.But, after only a week of passing it around on Facebook, a group Amanda created called “Rachel’s Happy Feet” has grown to over 300 members and is gaining tremendous support from the communities in Henderson County.
“Rachel’s Happy Feet” will be giving collected shoes to the Rainbow Room with Child Protective Services and Rachel will have a chance to meet the Rainbow Room president at the upcoming “Duck Run” on Sept. 28 at the Texas Freshwater Fishery Center.
“For a 7-year-old to come up with this idea, well, not just come up with it but continue to follow through on it is just wonderful,” said Julie Funkhouser, office administrator for the Rainbow Room. “When I first heard about it, I got goosebumps.”
In another inspiring, story two other local young boys who run “Hendry for Hire” doing small odd jobs for their community have agreed to sponsor Rachel and will give 10 percent of all their income made this year to “Rachel’s Happy Feet.”
Amanda is still in the process of setting up drop off locations around the county and as more are added they will be added to Rachel’s page on the Cedar Creek Lake Television website.
For those wishing to give a monetary donation instead of actually purchasing and dropping off a pair of shoes they may do so here.
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This story is used with the permission of Cedar Creek Lake Television.