By Brittany Black

ST. CHARLES, Illinois – If one shoe changed Cinderella’s life, imagine what a pair of shoes could do. The cast of Cinderella at Noble Fools Theatricals could not have come up with a more enchanting theme.

Beth Conrad, part of the shows public relations team and mom of a cast member, thought it would be a great idea to collect shoes for Buckner International’s Shoes for Orphan Souls in order to promote the upcoming performance.

“The idea came to me when I was on a nature walk. I was thinking about how we could promote the show while helping others,” she said. “I have to say it was God’s idea. He planted the idea and I just presented it.”

The 13 member cast of 6 to 8 year olds, along with the parents, theater staff and the community, began collecting shoes, socks, shoelaces and donations in late April. Several local business locations served as drop-off points for shoes and people attending the May show were invited to donate a pair of shoes, socks or laces instead of paying an admission fee.

Once the shoes were collected, the cast members and their moms hosted a shoe packing party. Conrad said both the kids and their moms were excited about touching every pair of donated shoes.

“It was heartwarming to see our kids helping other kids,” she said.

In total, the production collected 131 pairs of shoes, 195 pairs of socks, four pairs of shoe laces and a $35 cash donation. Their gifts will soon give vulnerable children around the world a chance at their own fairy-tale.

To learn more about hosting your own shoe drive, visit www.shoesfororphansouls.org/host.shtml or call 1-866-774-SHOE.