KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2025 Gift of Sole Gala has a new date and a new location this year but it still has the same goal of helping children in need in the Kansas City area get a new pair of sneakers.
This year’s event will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April, 26, at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District, 1616 E. 18th Street in Kansas City, Missouri.
Tickets are $150 per person and you can grab yours online.
KSHB 41 News anchor Kevin Holmes came up with the Gift of Sole community impact initiative as a way to help children wearing old, ill-fitting or dirty shoes get a new pair.
Many times, parents cannot afford to buy a new pair of sneakers for their children. So, Kevin is galvanizing the public to pitch in so those children in need will have a new pair of sneakers and the self-esteem and joy those sneakers bring. The initiative also provides financial relief and reduces stress for parents facing financial struggles.
This is the fourth year for The KSHB 41 Gift of Sole Gala.
In October 2024, in partnership with Scripps Howard Fund, the nonprofit arm of our parent company, E.W. Scripps, KSHB 41 invited viewers to donate online on our website, or text to give.
We raised more than $76,000. With that money, we purchased new sneakers for students participating in area Police Athletic Leagues; Fairmont Elementary School in Independence; M.U.F.F.I.N (Mothers United for Families In Need) in Blue Springs; The Blue Valley Neighborhood Association’s basketball team, and youth being helped by the Child Abuser Prevention Association in Independence.
Because the need continues, KSHB 41 continues raising money.
General admission tickets to the Gift of Sole Gala in April are $150. Kevin Holms will be your host for the evening. Guests will have the unique experience of dressing up in their formal wear and sliding on a pair of their favorite sneakers.
It’s a fun, relaxing and elegant event. Guests will enjoy a tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; be treated to an open bar, and a delicious plated dinner catered by Lula Southern Cookhouse in Kansas City. There will be a live DJ with dancing, and special live entertainment along with a compelling mission moment, with video of children and community stakeholders explaining why the Gift of Sole initiative is making a positive impact.
Tickets are limited; so, if you want to attend the Gift of Sole Gala on April 26, please purchase your tickets now. If you cannot attend, you can still make a difference, by making a donation online.
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