One asks what has our local Port Washington sneaker entrepreneur been up to these days? Brett Robinson, now a junior at Schreiber High School, has been busy running kicks.ny and is right on track with plans to give back to his community. This winter he held his own sneaker drive by recruiting family and friends to help out. He has collected about 50 pairs of sneakers in all sizes, styles and colors.
He was hoping to donate the sneakers to local shelters, but due to COVID-19 restrictions only brand new shoes can be accepted and distributed to those in need. Fortunately, after doing some research, Robinson found an organization on Long Island that still accepts used items. The United Veterans Beacon House of Bay Shore provides veterans and their families with pre-owned footwear. He joined forces with Incredible Feets, a shoe store in Albertson, through their own charitable mission of this kind. General Manager Larry Shames was thrilled to have Robinson’s help.
“Most people don’t come into the store with the amount of sneakers that Brett collected,” said Shames. “Customers may leave a small bag of one or two pairs, but that’s usually the limit.” The retail company has made contributions of over a thousand pairs of worn sneakers in the past two years, according to Shames.
Robinson went a step further. He wanted to be able to help more people in need. He plans to match the number of worn sneakers he’s collected with brand new pairs which he will buy with the profits he has made from his Instagram page. By the spring and summer of 2022, Robinson will have donated an additional fifty pairs of sneakers to the men, women and children of the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, Bethany House and Terena Williams Glory House in the Town of Hempstead.
When asked what inspired him, Robinson answered, “I learned that a good business is about turning a profit, but a great business is one that gives back,” he said. “Even if it’s just making a small difference in someone’s life.”
—Submitted by Joy Robinson
