At a Pleasantville back-to-school event, more than 900 children found more than new sneakers

Families began lining up outside the WinSan Center in Pleasantville, New Jersey, nearly half an hour before the doors opened. They were waiting in the August heat for sneakers. 1

On Aug. 15, 2026, the Sole Scholars Foundation turned that line into a few hours of shoes, school supplies, haircuts, health screenings, books, basketball and practical help. Darryl Glover, the Pleasantville native who founded the nonprofit, said a little over 900 children attended the third annual back-to-school event. More than 60 volunteers helped keep the rooms moving. 1

The scene matters because the event began with a very ordinary pressure: getting children ready for school costs money, and many households have to decide which bill gets room first. Sole Scholars gave families a new pair of sneakers and supplies while leaving their own money available for something else. Ashley Ingram, who attended with her 10-year-old daughter Charleigh Gilbert, said the shoes could help a parent put that money toward another household need. 1

Glover built the event around a local memory. He said he wanted to create the kind of community gathering he would have loved to see when he was a child. His wife, Carmella, worked alongside him, and volunteers from StockX and Foot Locker staffed the sneaker room. 1

The event had grown sharply from the year before. The 2025 gathering drew 522 registrants from 40 schools in 14 cities across Atlantic and Cape May counties, and the organizers estimated that families saved a combined $130,000 in back-to-school costs. Glover credited sponsors, donors and volunteers for making the expansion possible. 1

A donor helped make the shoe room especially memorable. Phil, the owner of Cincinnati-based UNHeardof Brand, donated 200 pairs of colorful Adidas sneakers, added financial support and drove from Ohio to Pleasantville to meet Glover before the event. Children opened the boxes to find the shoes packaged with extra goodies. 1

Sole Scholars called this year's event "Passport to Possibility." Families collected stamps from at least five vendor tables before entering the sneaker room. The route connected the giveaway to health, literacy, leadership, career paths, college access, civic engagement and community support. Children could also join a basketball clinic, clean their sneakers, make trading cards and receive $10 in "Scholar Dollars" for snacks and drinks. 1

AtlantiCare provided health screenings and physicals through medical residents, while John Brooks Recovery Center brought a mobile unit. Hachette Book Group donated books and highlighters through its Raising Readers campaign and invited parents to pledge to read with their children for 10 minutes a day. High school students found hygiene and skin-care products, and teen girls could choose from donated purses. 1

Brittany Green, a Sole Scholars board member, said the goal was to connect families with resources that can be hard to reach. She described the choice some parents face between rent, groceries and a school shopping list. Christian Ragland, AtlantiCare's assistant vice president of health equity, said health providers need to meet people in community spaces where asking for help feels possible. 1

That is the part I would keep from this story. The sneakers drew the line, but the line led to more than a checkout table. A child could leave with shoes, a book, a health connection and a room full of adults who had spent the day making practical help easier to find. The event did not ask families to tell one story about what they needed. It gave them several doors to try. 1

Glover said one guardian later emailed to thank the organization for helping her grandchildren prepare for school. Sole Scholars hopes to expand its space, sponsors and volunteer services, work with more schools throughout the year, and add a sensory room for children with autism at next year's event. The nonprofit's official site currently lists ways to volunteer, sponsor an event or donate. 12

Read the original report from Shore Local Newsmagazine or visit the Sole Scholars Foundation to see the organization's current volunteer and support options.