CASA of Elkhorn Valley Celebrates Tremendous Success with Community Shoe Drive Fundraiser, Collecting Nearly 4,000 Pairs
O’NEILL, NE — CASA of Elkhorn Valley is celebrating the phenomenal success of its multi-month Shoe Drive Fundraiser, which concluded with a spectacular community response. Thanks to the generosity of local residents, businesses, and neighboring towns, the organization successfully gathered 155 bags of shoes, with 25 pairs packed into each bag, for an incredible grand total of 3,875 pairs of shoes.
A critical element of the drive's success was accessibility for donors. CASA of Elkhorn Valley extends a special thank you to KBRX Radio, The O'Neill Chamber of Commerce, and The O'Neill Shopper for generously opening their doors and serving as central community drop-off locations throughout the multi-month fundraiser.
To drive a final push during the last week of the campaign, CASA of Elkhorn Valley hosted a friendly competition. Donors vied for the most shoes collected, with the grand prize being two tickets to the highly anticipated Josh Turner concert at O'Neill Summerfest.
The winner of the competition is Barb Slaba of O'Neill, who went above and beyond by personally collecting over 600 pairs of shoes. CASA of Elkhorn Valley extends its warmest congratulations to Barb for her outstanding, impactful effort.
An undertaking of this scale also required significant logistical teamwork. CASA of Elkhorn Valley extends a special thank you to Black Hills Energy for generously providing the essential warehouse storage facility needed to house the thousands of donations. Additional profound gratitude goes to Black Hills Energy employees Andrew Huber and Josh Doorlag for volunteering their time to sort and bag the heavy shipments, and to Lily Huber for her tireless willingness to assist throughout the entire preparation process.
The thousands of collected shoes will now be shipped to the partnering fundraising company to be weighed. The final financial contribution awarded to CASA of Elkhorn Valley will be determined based on that total weight.
All funds raised through this initiative will go directly toward supporting local children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. The money will also provide vital training and resources for the court-appointed volunteer advocates who stand by these children throughout the legal process.
"This has been an absolutely amazing experience for our organization," said Monica Huber. "CASA of Elkhorn Valley extends our extreme gratitude to everyone who stepped up to help our mission continue. We are deeply thankful to the residents and members of O’Neill, Norfolk, Bartlett, Ewing, Orchard, and surrounding areas, including Wagner, South Dakota, for locking arms with us to support vulnerable youth."
For more information about how to volunteer or donate to active child advocacy cases, please visit the CASA of Elkhorn Valley Website.
CASA of Elkhorn Valley
CASA of Elkhorn Valley recruits, trains, and supports dedicated community volunteers to advocate for foster children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Operating across regional counties with offices in O’Neill and Norfolk, the organization works alongside child welfare systems to secure safe, permanent homes for youth.
