The Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation

The Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation

Dedicated to improving the health and educational development

of the youth in El Paso.

This page was last updated: May 25, 2009

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"A life is not important except for the impact it has on other lives".

- Jackie Robinson

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JUST B

The 2009 GREAT SHOE GIVEAWAY

Helping youth to “B” Fit and “B” Strong... The GREAT SHOE GIVEAWAY

On MARCH 4, 2009 our largest single contribution will be given to a local elementary school. Over 500 pairs of New Balance tennis shoes will be given to Aoy Elementary School to help promote fitness at their school.

This school was chosen because of the percentage of economically disadvantaged that make up their enrollment. It is the goal of this foundation to select a different school each spring, and distribute new tennis shoes to each student to encourage good health and fitness in our border city.

The Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation is a volunteer organization that has distributed more than $100,000 to our area schools and athletes in the last 18 months. The funding for this foundation comes from a yearly Walk/Run that is hosted by the middle school Braden attended. This Walk/Run is now the second largest in El Paso, and allows the foundation to continue to give back to this great community.

Braden, (nickname “B”) would have loved to see other kids have the same experiences he enjoyed in his lifetime, and through this foundation many are having the opportunity.

If you have any questions or would like more information please feel free to contact us.

Hoping to inspire

Foundation gives $10,000 in new shoes to Aoy Elementary School

By Zahira Torres / El Paso Times

Posted: 03/04/2009 11:24:53 AM MST

EL PASO - Six-year-old Nancy Gonzalez quickly pulled off a pair of tattered black slip-on tennis shoes Wednesday and replaced them with a new pair of white sneakers.

"They are so pretty because of the color," Nancy said. "I love that they have pink."

The kindergartner at Aoy Elementary School in South El Paso is one of 500 students who will receive a new pair of New Balance tennis shoes from the Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation.

The Foundation Wednesday donated $10,000 in shoes to the school.

Children will be asked to get signatures for helping teachers and students at the campus and volunteering in the community. Once they earn 24 signatures, they will be given the new shoes.

Administrators at the school said that they hope the donation will inspire children to give back to their community.

The Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation awarded 500 Aoy Elementary School students with new pairs of New Balance tennis shoes. The students recevied their shoes today after a short parade around the school grounds.

(RUBEN R RAMIREZ/EL PASO TIMES)

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EL PASO -- The pair of black boots that 5-year-old Jessica Gonzalez uses to walk to school, run and play were cast aside momentarily Wednesday when she opened a box of new pink-and-white tennis shoes.

She was one of hundreds of Aoy Elementary School students who kicked off their old shoes and replaced them with New Balance tennis shoes donated through the Braden Aboud

"I don't use (my tennis shoes) anymore because my mom won't let me wear them," Jessica said as she tried on her new shoes. "She says they are too dirty and too old. When I told her I was getting shoes for free she said, 'We'll see.' She didn't believe me."

Other children who will get new shoes marched around the school holding banners in honor of Braden Aboud, a 14-year-old student at Lincoln Middle School, who died in a skiing accident more than two years ago.

Many held signs that thanked the foundation for donating 500 pairs of tennis shoes, at a cost of $10,000. The school also unveiled a small mural with the foundation's name and a "B Strong" slogan emblazoned on a bird.

"A lot of families can barely afford to buy one pair of shoes," said Carmelo Gamez, a parent of two children who attended the shoe giveaway with his wife. "This is a nice thing so that kids can at least have two pairs of shoes. It will also help parents save money so that they can fix things around the house, buy things for the kids or get them uniforms for school."

Though some students received their shoes on Wednesday, others will have to earn them.

To earn new shoes, children must get signatures from school officials for participating in fitness exercises every Tuesday, helping teachers and other students at the campus and attending after-school activities. Once they earn 24 signatures, they will receive the new shoes.

Administrators at the school said they hoped the donation would inspire children to give back to their community.

"I want these kids to see that things are being given to them, but in turn that they will eventually have their turn to give back," said Cindy Aboud, who runs the foundation in honor of her son. "Everybody has their turn to give back in life, whether it be in monetary, whether it be physical, whether it be in spirit. You all have your turn to give back."

Aboud said Braden often discussed the importance of giving needy children shoes.

"He was in a school that had economically disadvantaged kids and kids that had great affluence," Aboud said, "but because they were in uniforms, like these kids are today, nobody knew who had what until you got down to their tennis shoes."

Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 546-6156.

Nancy Gonzalez 6 and Tamara Miranda 5, both kindergartners along with their teacher Ms. Pola K. Gonzalez at Aoy Elementary get help as they prepare to try on their new shoes that the students received from the Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation. The students at Aoy received 500 pair of tennis shoes from the foundation. (Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)