Community Corner

Capo Valley High Students Fight Budget Cuts with Sneakers

After cuts to music and sports programs, Capo Valley High students found a way to raise money for extracurricular activities.

Meagan Shinbashi saw the affects of school budget cuts firsthand.

Her tennis team didn't have enough money for new uniforms. Her orchaestra couldn't pay the licensing fees for new music. Something had to be done, she decided.

So with the help of friends, Meagan, a 16-year-old junior at , started looking for ways to earn more for her school.

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She found a nonprofit that sells shoes to third-world countries. By collecting donated shoes, Meagan found she could earn 50 cents for each pair.

The biggest challenge, she said, was letting people know how to help.

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"Getting the word out was the hardest," she said. "But everyone seemed really willing to help."

That meant family, friends and neighbors of Capo Valley students would need to dig through their closets for old pairs of shoes.

The final result was more than $1,800 for the school's gift fund.

"It was definitely rewarding," Meagan said. "And it was amazing to see how many students and parents cared about these programs that were hurting."


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