How a New Jersey city grew to become a hub for sneaker philanthropy

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Darryl “Brotha D” Glover is dialing in from the mecca, or at the least the holy land for sneakerheads.

At the time of the decision, Glover is in Beaverton, Oregon, for The Gathering, an annual occasion that unites a few of the footwear business’s most passionate fans outdoors Nike’s world headquarters.

An evening earlier, Glover was shaking fingers and sharing tales with Nike CEO Elliott Hill.

Just days earlier than that, nonetheless, he was internet hosting a gathering of his personal in a much more private setting.

Passport to Possibilities, the third installment of the annual back-to-school occasion for his hometown of Pleasantville, New Jersey, drew greater than 1,000 college students and almost as many adults final month. The occasion gives sneakers, providers {and professional} introductions to residents trying to dream larger.

“The whole entire event is storytelling,” Glover advised Andscape of the Sole Scholars Foundation occasion, hosted on the church the place he was each baptized and married. “All of the elements and activations are part of my journey.”

Founded in 2024 by Glover, the Sole Scholars Foundation is a Pleasantville-based nonprofit. It serves college students and households in low-income faculty districts — Title 1 communities — that obtain extra funding from the federal authorities. Services embrace offering faculty provides, sneakers and different sources to assist college students begin the college 12 months ready.

According to the National Retail Federation, households with school-age kids are anticipated to spend a mean of $863.86 on back-to-school objects in 2026. Glover stated Sole Scholars was created partly to assist offset that burden for households in Pleasantville.

“It takes about $800 to properly outfit a student and prepare them for school,” Glover stated. “That’s book bags, clothing, sneakers, pencils, paper, calculators, folders, Trapper Keepers, etc. We try our best to alleviate as much of the financial burden for these families as possible and get them prepared the best they can be.”

In three years, Glover has linked company sponsors and native volunteers round a mission to serve his hometown of Pleasantville.

Students line up at an ice cream truck throughout the Sole Scholars Foundation’s Passport to Possibilities occasion in Pleasantville, N.J.Ricardo Mestre/@uninstructedvision

Thanks to him, organizations starting from Foot Locker to the NAACP are investing sources within the coastal metropolis of about 20,000.

“I went home after that first event almost in disbelief,” Brittany Green, an Atlantic County native who commutes from close by Ocean City, New Jersey, to volunteer, advised Andscape. “I watched Darryl and his wife, Carmella, pour so much into families in Pleasantville. What struck me most was how understated they were about the impact they were making.”

Glover, who at all times positions Pleasantville as his hometown when chatting with sponsors, has rapidly seen the fruits of his labor develop.

In 2024, Sole Scholars served 107 college students and raised $7,400. Since launching, the group has served almost 3,000 college students via its programming. At final month’s occasion, Sole Scholars served 1,087 college students and raised $24,300, development fueled by 60 volunteers and 18 in-kind companions.

“It was a labor of love, and the community responded,” Glover stated. “Every year we take the planning seriously, but this year we doubled down on our efforts.”

From JD Sports to StockX, L’Oréal to Mitchell & Ness, Glover has leveraged his fairness within the sneaker group to carry main manufacturers throughout industries into the folks and goals of his small city.

“I was able to build these relationships by being a sneakerhead and working for some of these brands,” Glover stated. “I own over 1,000 pairs of shoes. To give back more sneakers than I actually own is the one thing where I pat myself on the back.”

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A lifelong ardour for sneakers has allowed Glover to journey the world and construct a profession spanning manufacturers. More importantly, it has offered his hometown with a platform to obtain extra than simply footwear.

“We gave free physicals for student-athletes,” Glover stated. “We had record expungement. We had voter registration. We had substance abuse utility vehicles. We had Atlantic City Electric helping people with their bills and winterizing their homes.”

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Already, the annual Sole Scholars occasion serves greater than kids, reaching Pleasantville residents of all ages and wishes.

Glover hopes to take the Sole Scholars mannequin to extra Title I communities. The basis’s purpose for 2027 is to lift $50,000 and serve 2,000 college students.

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But for now, it’s his humble hometown that’s each reaping the advantages and setting the precedent.

“This is exactly the kind of investment an urban community like Pleasantville deserves,” Green stated. “We want families to leave with tangible resources, but we also want them to leave with a memory and the feeling that someone cared enough to show up for them.”

The recollections prolong past items and providers. A photograph station prints customized buying and selling playing cards, whereas college students use Scholar Dollars to be taught budgeting, spending them at meals distributors and a lemonade stand run by Glover’s third-grade daughter, Zoe.

Volunteers kind donated sneakers and back-to-school necessities earlier than the Sole Scholars Foundation’s Passport to Possibilities occasion, which serves college students and households in Pleasantville, N.J.Ricardo Mestre/@uninstructedvision

For skilled improvement, all college students are required to talk with 5 vendor sponsors and find out about profession alternatives earlier than claiming their free footwear.

“I’ve been working with a lot of brands to bring their HR and talent acquisition teams on-site,” Glover stated. “The goal next year is to do interviews live at the event and guarantee a Pleasantville resident a job.”

As Glover will get prepared for one more footwear-filled day within the metropolis each Nike and Adidas name house, the world-famous Kobe Bryant collector will rub shoulders with business executives and embellished designers.

“From the moment I open my eyes and say my prayers, I’m searching for sneakers,” Glover stated. “Studying and being a sponge. The No. 1 dream is a collaboration for Sole Scholars. I’m putting that out there.”

Still, he by no means forgets the place he got here from, recognizing that sneakers created each a method out and a method again.

“My love for my city is very strong,” Glover stated. “I want to extend my hand and resources so that these kids can be better than me.”

Ian Stonebrook is a tradition, sports activities, and music author primarily based in Austin, TX. For a intelligent second line, say what up or discover him on a basketball court docket.