SUMTER, S.C. — Lakewood High School is hosting a shoe drive to raise money for its drama club.
"I wake up on Mondays and I’m, like, so excited. I am not a Monday person, but I wake up every day 'cuz I’m like ‘Ahh, I get to go to drama club today," 11th grader Jayla Peel smiled. "It’s like the highlight of my week. I go home and just talk about drama club to my mom."
The club is new at Lakewood after special education teacher Michelle Gilroy started it last spring.
"I love it. I absolutely love it," Gilroy shared. "My daughter’s really big into theater over at Sumter High and I saw how much it helped her, and so I wanted to do the same thing here at Lakewood."
She isn't the only one.
Students like Alyxis McKinley have also been enjoying it.
"I had been talking a lot for so long about how badly I wanted one here," McKinley shared.
Now, the club is hosting a fundraiser as it tries to expand.
"We are completely self funded so we have to do fundraises for everything that we’re going to need," Gilroy explained.
Students, teachers and community members are being asked to contribute to the shoe drive. The club is trying to collect 100 bags of shoes to donate to third world countries. In exchange, the club will get money from Funds2Orgs to help put on future productions.
"With the fundraising we get access to costumes and props and sets and more shows and its so cool to see the different things we can do," Peel explained.
"Even the licensing and the scripts cost a lot," McKinley added.
Students like Erin Baker tell me the club has helped students come out of their shells since it started.
"I think it’s just kind of like a fun little outlet to be able to express yourself and to work on bettering yourself in some ways," Baker shared.
"Drama club has helped me a lot and a lot of people that I know a lot," actor Ray Watts added. "And it’s helped us with our confidence and our anxiety and stuff like that."
With help from the shoe drive, they hope the club can expand even further.
If you have shoes to donate, you can bring them to Lakewood High School’s office any weekday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.