The Max Cure Foundation recently received a request to start a Dunk Your Kicks collection from 10^th grader, Leah Glucksman, in Scarsdale, NY. We were so inspired by her efforts that we decided to share her story in the hopes that her efforts will motivate other young people to follow her lead.

In Leah’s Own Words

I learned about The Max Cure Foundation while at the summer camp I attend called Tripp Lake Camp in Poland, Maine. I have attended TLC for the past 8 years and this coming summer will be my 9th and final year. Two years ago the director of our camp, Leslie Levy introduced us to Dunk Your Kicks. We were asked to bring old pairs of sneakers to our camp reunion, which takes place every November and then again when we arrived at camp for the summer.  I never fully understood where my old pairs of sneakers were going until last summer.  David Plotkin, the founder of The Max Cure Foundation, came to speak to all the campers at my camp. Hearing about the story of David’s son Max who was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2007, inspired a lot of campers, including myself, to be a part of the foundation and the Dunk Your Kicks campaign.

I decided to start collecting my own shoes because I liked the idea of being able to brighten someone else’s day with something more than just a monetary donation.  Sneakers are synonymous with youth and exercise.  Wearing them makes all of us feel young regardless of our age.  So many sneakers go to waste each year once they are outgrown.  These sneakers are often still in very good shape and not near the end of their useful lives.  To make matters worse, they typically end up in landfills, which is not environmentally friendly.  Through Dunk Your Kicks, I can take pride knowing that my old shoes are finding a new home, staying out of landfills and being used to generate funds for pediatric cancer.

I am so excited to host my first fundraiser for The Max Cure Foundation and Dunk Your Kicks and to bring awareness in my community to this amazing cause. Since this is my first DYK fundraiser I don’t have a set goal in mind yet for how many pairs we expect to collect. However, my hope is to host another event in the future and try and exceed what we get at this event. I also hope that by me participating in Dunk Your Kicks that this will encourage the younger campers at Tripp Lake Camp to get involved and hopefully motivate them to want to host their own fundraiser at their school or in their community. Since this summer will be my 9th and last summer at TLC, it is important to me that I take on this leadership role and pass the torch down to the younger campers with the hope of keeping Dunk Your Kicks alive at TLC for many years to come!

My first fundraiser will be held with Backyard Sports on April 19, 2015 at Purchase College. BYSC is an organization dedicated to providing high quality sports programming to young athletes with limited access to community programs and special needs children in Westchester and lower Connecticut.  The owner, Danny Bernstein, is a family friend and a leader in our community.  When I was in 6th grade, Danny gave me the opportunity to be a volunteer for the Backyard Sports program at the Edward Williams School in Mt. Vernon, New York. Each week that I attended, I played soccer and other interactive games with the kids at this school. It was a very rewarding experience. I am now in 10th grade and I have continued to work at the Edward Williams School tutoring kids with their homework.

For the past three years Danny has hosted a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament fundraiser for BYSC. My dad who loves to play basketball has been a participant every year. As a result of his participation, this was what led to the idea that the BYSC tournament would be a great place to introduce Dunk Your Kicks to our community. There are over 130 people participating in the tournament and 100 spectators so we hope that everyone can help support DYK by donating a used pair of sneakers on April 19th.

We thank Leah and her family for their continued efforts to make a difference in the lives of children battling cancer. We hope her story inspires you to take a stand, one pair of sneakers at a time, and Dunk Your Kicks.

To start a collection, the first step is to visit us online and fill out the form here.