Students in junior high and high school grades in Washington School District were chosen by staff to be the first recipients of new athletic shoes from the TonyStrong Foundation's "Christmas Kicks" shoe drive event. This year, according to Dave Hoffmann , foundation representative and Tony's uncle, the "Christmas Kicks'" program bought 70 pairs of athletic shoes selected for recipients in several counties who "come to school, work hard, and represent their schools well." Students are also selected based on financial need.
Hoffmann came to Washington High School this past Dec. 20th with Tony's mother, foundation president Diana Cook, to distribute the shoes to the following students: Left to Right in the photo: Nicholas Sicchitano, Destiny Pratt, Hollie Jones, Trei’vaun Davis, Chloe Penatzer, Cincere Eckert, Mark McMillan, and Dane Asbury.
The TonyStrong foundation was set up after the 2021 death of Anthony (Tony) Cook who passed away at the young age of 16, after years of dealing with health issues and cancer. His parents and family worked to establish the TonyStrong Foundation to honor the memory of his 3 loves -- family, basketball, and shoes! For more on Tony's story, visit the foundation website at tonystrong.org
Posted: December 2023
