It was Valentine’s Day, and some students at Marshall Middle School were in for a sweet surprise. No, they weren’t getting candy. They were being gifted with something a little more essential: shoes.
Teacher Brandy Mordecai pushed a metal cart into her classroom. A bulky box pressed against its cool surface. Her students perked up.
She revealed they were getting brand new shoes provided for by the New York Yankees.
“It means a lot,” Mordecai said. “There’s a lot of kids in the poverty area. So it’s a blessing. A lot of them can’t afford it.”
One by one, the students were called up to get their pair. Some were blue, some had neon stripes. The Yankees hit it out of the park for style.
“We’re going to be twins,” Zanaria Austin yelled across the room to her friend, Tracy James.
They both scored new pink and purple kicks.
Mordecai had been working on getting the shoes since before Christmas. She received an email from the Yankees marketing department last year, asking if her students needed any donations. And some of her students really did need the extra help.
Mordecai and aides Robert Chin and Jenny Pemberton had seen the hardships some students had to endure. Chin even bought a pair of shoes for one student after seeing the soles almost come off.
“They are so excited,” ESE Specialist Valenica Jackson said. “A lot of these kids are less privileged.”
On this day, Jackson, Mordecai’s mother, was watching Mordecai’s class, while the shoes were being prepared and delivered. The class comprises 10 students who have emotional behavior disorders. Some of the students have anger management issues, while others can’t control their emotions.
“Since I’ve taken over, I’ve seen a change in them,” Mordecai said.
She keeps a gift card taped to the top of her whiteboard to test the students for honesty. At the beginning of the year, previous gift cards have gone missing. But since the start of the semester, the same one has remained.
The students also are taught about generosity, responsibility and gratitude. They will be writing thank-you notes to the Yankees for their shoes.
“I appreciate them,” Tracy James said. “Everyone: Raise your hands if you want to wear your shoes on Monday.”
All the students lifted their arms.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.