10 Connects Hero: Girl donates ballet slippers

 Kathryn Bursch     7 months ago
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Tampa, Florida - At the Patel Conservatory a ballet instructor puts Drew Buckley through her paces. You can tell by this 10-year-old's face that she's concentrating. Drew admits ballet is hard work, but she loves it. "It just makes me feel good and I just like to do it," says Drew.

And the love of ballet is something Drew shares with students at the Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School. Ballet is part of the curriculum there, but right now there's a bit of a problem.

Many of the kids at the school are homeless and they lack ballet slippers. And when it comes to ballet, bare feet or slippery socks just don't cut it. "I checked it out and one little boy tried to jump and he fell on his face," says Drew.

After Drew found out about the problem, she sprang into action. She collected used slippers and money to buy new ones. "I walked around the neighborhood knocking on doors."

Drew raised more than $1,000 and next week she'll be at the Metropolitan Ministries school handing out 100 pairs of new slippers. She thinks the experience will be pretty neat. "It's so special and it just hits me," she says touching her heart.

The ballet instructor at the school says her students are really excited about it. "They're not going to be slipping anymore and just to have shoes, it makes it extra special for them," says Ashley Hilton.

Drew isn't in toe shoes yet, but when it comes to helping others, she's already "on pointe".

If you know of a hero you'd like to see profiled on 10 Connects, email the information to kbursch@10Connects.com

Kathryn Bursch, 10 Connects
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