The first annual TJ Croc shoe drive exceeds expectations.
by Sam Thomas
photo by Manny Perez
During the past few weeks ,Thomas Jefferson High School has been engaging in the first TJ Croc Drive. Senior Yoko Tiscareno has headed the drive, making announcements and flyers spreading the Croc Drive word.
The details of the drive were simple: parents, students, and faculty were asked to donate old Crocs to TJ, which then would be taken to the Journeys Store at the Northfield Mall. The fundraiser’s main purpose was to provide clean reliable shoes to children in Africa who can’t afford or can’t obtain shoes.
Journeys, which is known for its hip clothing and shoes, started this fundraiser a couple of years ago, and continues to accept donations all year long. They take the donated shoes, melt them down and remake the same shoe, just clean and new, ensuring the durability.
Yoko had high expectations for the fundraiser, but was blown away by the amount of Crocs that were donated. Yoko said, “The fundraiser was incredibly successful. We got more than fifty donations, which was way more than we thought that we were going to get.”
As an employee of Journeys, Yoko hauled the two large boxes of Crocs to add to the other donations. With the help of TJ’s Interact Club, the word on the drive got out and the Crocs started rolling into TJ in bushels.
Because of her hard work on the Croc Drive, and along with the rest of her hard work on and in the TJ community, Yoko was named the Interact Club student of the month. Yoko said, “It was really nice to be recognized for my hard work; it made it just that much more important to me.”
In the end, the first Thomas Jefferson Croc Drive was a major success, exceeding everyone’s expectations. Yoko said, “Hopefully the success of this year’s Croc Drive will carry into next year and make it as successful.”
