For the past months, Jonel aka Bugobugo85 had been telling me that a group of his former classmates in High School based in the United States will be arriving in the country and part of their itinerary will be to donate a “balikbayan box” full of  “used” running shoes to my Project Donate A Shoe. The scheduled day for the donation was set at the Happy Run last 25 January 2009 at The Fort.

After finishing my race at the Resolution Challenge 10K Run at the Mall of Asia, I had to immediately proceed to The Fort to meet the classmates of Jonel for the proper acceptance of their donated shoes. As soon as I arrived at the Finish Area of the Happy Run, the tarpaulin of the Project Donate A Shoe was already set and I started to see the arrival of runners, runner-bloggers, and members of Team Bald Runner who just finished the 15K run.

The University of Santo Tomas SIGMA BETA FRATERNITY-Society of Builders Inc. members, Hans Lopez, Sherman Hernaez, and the Volunteer Doctors from the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California, USA donated twenty-one (21) pairs of “used” running/walking shoes and one (1) jogging pants to my project which I accepted from them in the presence of Jonel and Major Espejo. Thanks, Jonel and to the members of SIGMA BETA FRATERNITY (UST) for the support! Mabuhay kayo!

My friend, Felipe Dumpit aka Kinderdorf Leben, also donated one (1) pair of his “used” Mizuno running shoes while I awarded him with his “1,000-Km Club” Finisher’s T-Shirt.

My son, John Paul, also donated his Brooks Running shoes which he used in the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon, 2008 San Francisco Marathon and 2008 Los Angeles City Half-Marathon. He also donated the ASICS Lady’s Running Shoes of my daughter/his sister, Jovelle, which she used in the same Marathon & Half-Marathon races that John particpated and finished.

On that same day, thirty (30) donated shoes were received by the same number of runner-recipients who were able to replace their “old & torn” running shoes.