Vacaville Teen Taking Steps To Start Nonprofit Helping Athletes Get Shoes
VACAVILLE (CBS13) — A Vacaville teen needed a little help getting shoes to play on her high-school basketball team. After she got an assist from the Boys and Girls Club, she decided to help other teens who can't afford shoes.
The shoes don't necessarily make the basketball player, but a good pair helps.
Vacaville High sophomore Shanneil Turner learned that lesson when her first pair failed during tryouts last year.
"When I went up for a layup, like the third day of tryouts my shoes kind of ripped at the bottom so I was like 'Oh no,'" she said.
At the time, her family couldn't get a new pair of shoes, but the Boys and Girls club stepped up with a scholarship and bought her a colorful pair of Nikes she says got the job done.
"We had a winning season 13-7," she said.
The shoes sparked an idea—why not create a nonprofit to help other teens who can't afford basketball shoes.
"I knew some of my friends who didn't do it because their parents were like, they couldn't afford stuff to play with," she said.
The program will be called Shanneil's Locker. Vacaville Boys and Girls Club executive director Anna Eaton is helping Shanneil get it off the ground.
"We are just building an interest pool so that she knows there is going to be support and now she needs to structure how the money, how the shoes, how the awards are given out to the needy children," Eaton said.
Shanneil says she wants to start small by helping junior-high and high-school basketball players. Eventually she plans to branch out to other sports.
"When she talks about Shanneil's locker, she's just so low-key," Eaton said. But you know, it's an exciting thing that's happening and hopefully her story will inspire other teenagers on things that they see that can serve their community."
Since Shanneil's Locker isn't a nonprofit yet, she's not to the point of accepting donations, but she already does have some donation commitments.
To help, email aeaton@vnbgc.com or call (707) 452-0480
