Katie’s Kicks

07/31/2025

102 pairs of shoes!! We gave away 102 pairs of shoes last night with several more being picked up in the next few weeks. Thank you to our supporters….the smiles and excitement from last night tell us that they were all very appreciative of your donations.

07/14/2025

Exciting things are happening at Katie’s Kicks 🤩

First….our shoe give-away is July 30th in Ortonville. We have over 300 pairs of shoes for kiddos to pick from.

Second…a HUGE thank you to Mr. Eustice’s class for building us a shed that will be accessible at the school. This will improve access for kids to get shoes quicker and not wait for me to dig in my attic. 😆

Also, thanks to Jim and Brett Kaye for the highly discounted shelving units for the shed and to Lori Strei and Jenny Odden for doing a big haul of shoe shopping.

Lastly, thank you so much to every single donor. Whether you have donated $5 or $1500, we are so incredibly grateful that our area kids don’t have to worry about what they will wear on the first day of school.

06/29/2025

Our goal for this year is to buy 150 pairs of shoes. Brand new shoes-not used. If you feel inclined to help a kiddo get a pair of shoes please donate. I promise you, they get so excited at this small gesture.

06/26/2025

Here is the back story for those wondering. My dad and Katie both passed away less than a year apart. Both were two of the most generous people I knew. I wanted to keep their generous spirit alive and saw a huge need for kids in our own town. It is solely named after Katie, because, well….the name Jerry just didn’t have a catchy ring to it. 😆😆

100% of money donated goes towards the kids. We don’t have any paid staff, we don’t pay out mileage/gas, and we don’t have administrative fees. It is 100% volunteer based.

When a child get their shoes, you can literally see sheer joy and excitement. Some kids have said they have never had a new pair of shoes before. Let’s make this happen again for Ortonville area kiddos.

What is Katie's Kicks? Let me tell you....
In 2019 my sister-in-law died unexpectedly. She was 34 years old and had 3 young children. Her name was Katie and she was a school teacher in the Denver School District, where she was a teacher in one of the lowest income schools in the district. Every single day, Katie helped her students and their families. Not only did she help with their academics but she also gave them food out of her own cupboard, she bought them clothing with her own money, and made sure her families always had the necessities to survive. Katie always made it a priority to help her students and their families, even if that meant her own family gave up something for it.
Wanting to keep Katie's spirit alive, Katie's Kicks was started to help kids in the Ortonville School. We launched in 2020 and have slowly increased each year.
2020 we gave away 12 pairs of shoes
2021 we gave away 47 pairs of shoes
2022 we gave away 112 pairs of shoes

In 2023 we partnered with Big Stone Area Growth (BSAG) to manage the funds for this non-profit organization.

This program is only possible because of donations. Each year many generous people help support this program through donations. We simply wouldn't be providing this service to our area kiddos without the support. If you are able to donate please see the Venmo link below or checks can be mailed to:
BSAG-Katie’s Kicks
645 Stephens Ave
Ortonville MN 56278

I buy all of the shoes from donated money. I shop clearance, use coupons, and try my best to keep costs down. All shoes are new, good quality shoes…because nothing boosts self-esteem like a new pair of shoes for your first day of school.

https://venmo.com/u/Kirsten-Karels

06/26/2025

When Lori asked what we needed help with I quickly said “shopping” and she did not disappoint!! She got us a jump start on shoe buying for this school year and saved over $1000 in the store. The reciept was taller than my daughter.
Last year we gave away over 135 pairs of shoes. Free. No cost to students in the Ortonville School district.
Please consider helping kids in our community. Everyone deserves to feel that new pair of shoes on the first day of school.
There are several ways to donate-
👟 Venmo (see photo)
👟 Cash or check dropped off at Johnson and Roggenbuck
👟 Cash or check dropped off at Dairy Queen in Ortonville
👟 Checks can be mailed to 645 Stephens Ave in Ortonville MN 56278

Checks can be made out to Big Stone Area Growth (BSAG) with Katie’s Kicks in the memo.

Thanks for your continued support for this program. We couldn’t do this without all of you!

08/10/2024

What a great start to the school year for these kiddos. Last week we had our annual shoe party and gave away 112 pairs of shoes. In the next few weeks we will be giving away approx 15-20 more!!

To all of our very generous donors…THANK YOU!! You have no idea the impact you had the night these kids got to pick out a brand new pair of shoes. Shoes aren’t cheap so we are so incredibly thankful for your support.

07/11/2024

Shoe buying has started. Thanks to Jenny Odden for finding some clearance deals averaging $25 per pair. This helps us stretch our dollars even more.

Did you know that 100% of donations go directly to shoes and socks. We don’t use any money for admin costs, travel, or other fees.

06/23/2024

It’s that time of year again 👟🧦💜
👟Our big shoe giveaway is August 1st this year.
👟In 2023 we gave away over 130 pairs of shoes
👟100% of donations go towards shoes
👟Help these kiddos get a fresh start to school

What is Katie's Kicks? Let me tell you....
In 2019 my sister-in-law died unexpectedly. She was 34 years old and had 3 young children. Her name was Katie and she was a school teacher in the Denver School District, where she was a teacher in one of the lowest income schools in the district. Every single day, Katie helped her students and their families. Not only did she help with their academics but she also gave them food out of her own cupboard, she bought them clothing with her own money, and made sure her families always had the necessities to survive. Katie always made it a priority to help her students and their families, even if that meant her own family gave up something for it.
Wanting to keep Katie's spirit alive, Katie's Kicks was started to help kids in the Ortonville School. We launched in 2020 and have slowly increased each year.
2020 we gave away 12 pairs of shoes
2021 we gave away 47 pairs of shoes
2022 we gave away 112 pairs of shoes

In 2023 we partnered with Big Stone Area Growth (BSAG) to manage the funds for this non-profit organization.

This program is only possible because of donations. Each year many generous people help support this program through donations. We simply wouldn't be providing this service to our area kiddos without the support. If you are able to donate please see the Venmo link below or checks can be mailed to:
BSAG-Katie’s Kicks
645 Stephens Ave
Ortonville MN 56278

I buy all of the shoes from donated money. I shop clearance, use coupons, and try my best to keep costs down. All shoes are new, good quality shoes…because nothing boosts self-esteem like a new pair of shoes for your first day of school.

https://venmo.com/u/Kirsten-Karels

08/12/2023

Shoe Party night 👟

08/12/2023

Huge shout out to our donors for this year. Buying all of these shoes would not be possible without your generous hearts.

Kathryn Melton
Neva Foster
Dave and Anne Tonn
Lori Strei
Jim Kaye
Grant and Michelle Botker
Rachelle Brown
Karina Kafka
Ashley Eastman
Shauna Gansen
Kristen Ohm
Pete and Lynn Vangsness
Hannah Mathes
Nikki Evje
Sadie Nelson
Kristin Haggerty
Erica Stattelman
Nadine Hartman
Kari Dorry
Brenda Zahrbock
Amy and Dustin Roggenbuck
Margaret Adelman
Linda Sis
Darin and Kristi Ehrenberg
Wanda Berry
Marcia Anderson
Tom and Tina Vanderstel
Steph Haukos
Michelle Bauer
First English Lutheran Church Members
Kendra Rademacher
Beth Fladhammer
Kendra Koch
Corinne Kastrup
Chelsie Haukos
Mike Molskness
Erika Kaiser
Sara and Josh Wollshlager
Emily VanderStel
Becky Parker
Eileen Karels
Julie Oines
Sue Molskness
Terry Block in Memory of Mark Block
Monica Voegtli

08/12/2023

Katie’s Kicks 2023……

👟 Thanks to Samantha Zahn/Baptist Church we were able to use their space to hand out shoes this year.
👟 August 10th was our big “shoe party”. We gave away 112 pairs of shoes….in ONE night. We have 19 more kids that will be receiving shoes later this month.
👟 We had over 300 shoes for kids to pick from this year. The shoes we didn’t use will carry over to next year so we have a good start already.