The mother-daughter realty team of Sandy Bodnar and Rayissa Palmer collected more than 100 pairs of gently-used shoes for the 22nd annual Ron White Shoe Drive. Donations of men’s and women’s shoes are distributed to charitable organizations in the Greater Toronto Area, including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Foundation’s Gifts of Light, the New Circles GLOW clothing program and Dress for Success. Since 1996, this drive has collected 40,000 pairs of shoes for those in need.
“As REALTORS®, we live in our shoes, going from appointment to open house,” Palmer said. “Comfort is key, and Ron’s All Day Heels® are great. The bonus is that Ron White himself, besides being a fabulous shoe designer, is a really nice guy. So, it made it doubly easy and a great fit for us to support his great cause for a third year in a row.”
The shoes go to various charities, including helping women who are re-entering the workforce and need professional attire.
“Growing up, we supported clothing drives and women’s shelters and Sandy volunteered for years at a women’s shelter in Toronto,” Palmer added. “Life can be tough and you never know when you are going to be up or down. If we can help even one person who happens to be down at this moment with some of the shoes that we collected, it makes it all worthwhile.”
Each year, Ron White enlists international celebrities to donate shoes and raise awareness of the event. Celine Dion, Rachel McAdams, Eric McCormick, Jeremy Irons and Matt Damon are just a few of the high-profile contributors.
Ron White kicked off his 22nd annual shoe drive with Vanessa Williams at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. The pair collected shoes from celebrities and Vanessa Williams personally donated and signed the shoes she wore for the Barbara Walters interview following her Emmy nomination.
This story was adapted – with permission – from one originally featured on the Sutton Spirit website. The Sutton Spirit program recognizes Sutton associates across Canada that improve and enhance the lives of the people around them.
