Goodie Two Shoes

Findlay Automotive Group teamed with KLAS-TV Channel 8 to help the Goodie Two Shoes Foundation give 407 Gragson Elementary students new shoes and socks March 14.

The students were unaware of the gifts when they arrived for school at 555 N. Honolulu St. in east Las Vegas. By the time volunteers, which included Findlay Automotive’s Terry Stockdale and Bob Holder, arrived they were ear-to-ear smiles.

“I was really moved by the kids,” said Stockdale, a data specialist with Findlay Automotive. “It was truly a very rewarding experience seeing young students fall in love with a brand new pair of shoes.”

Stockdale, a marathon runner who knows firsthand the value of a good-fitting pair of tennis shoes, said he fitted about eight or nine students.

“I’ll never forget it,” he said. “This was the first time I had done anything like this. It was very cool.”

Holder, who is a comptroller for Findlay Automotive, is involved in charities but said he had never before helped Goodie Two Shoes.

“It was quite an event,” Holder said. “If your feet hurt, you will have a more difficult time reaching your potential. I’m glad to have been a part of such an important event.”

Gragson Elementary art teacher Diann Meynor said students were thankful for the shoes.

“Our students at Gragson Elementary School absolutely loved the Goodie Two Shoes event,” Meynor said. “They couldn’t wait to show off their shoes to anyone who would stop long enough to look.

“For our students it meant the world to them to be able to choose any shoes they wanted with the assistance of such wonderful volunteers who took the time to meet the needs of the students’ wishes.”

The staff of reporters and videographers from KLAS filmed the event for newscasts that were aired later.

In the past 30 years, KLAS News Now has donated an estimated $30 million through in-kind media financial donations and physical goods. Programs include GR8 Museums, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, NGAGE With the Community, Strong Start Nevada, Acts of Kindness and Strong Start for Children.

The Goodie Two Shoes Foundation was founded and is operated by the husband-and-wife team of Nikki and Tony Berti.

Findlay Automotive Group has partnered with the television media for several years to honor and help the community, including donations to local schools, saluting veterans of Southern Nevada and Heroes of Southern Nevada.

It was founded more than 50 years ago by the late Pete Findlay, whose son, Cliff, now heads automotive operations in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Idaho. For more information, visit www.findlayauto.com.