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LOGAN — A 15-year-old North Logan girl hopes to help refugees by auctioning off celebrities' shoes.
Chandler Schramm said she first developed a passion for helping refugees during LDS General Conference.
"I remember them saying, 'What if you were in their shoes? What if you were in their position? What if you were coming from a country where you've had everything taken from you, with nothing to keep for yourself to a completely foreign country? What would you want people to do for you?'," Schramm said.
After thinking about what being in a refugee's shoes would feel like, Schramm said she realized shoes could be a way to help. She is reaching out to celebrities, asking them to sign a pair of their shoes, ship them to her, and she will auction them off on eBay. Schramm will donate the money to Catholic Community Services in Salt Lake City. Schramm hopes the money will help with education.
"We need the money for them to be able to go on field trips, get tutoring, go to school, get jobs," Schramm said.
Schramm's first pair of donated shoes came from former Utah Jazz player Thurl Bailey.
"They're huge," Schramm exclaimed as the pair sat in front of her on her family's kitchen table. "They're size 18. They're ginormous!"
Schramm is also sending hand-written letters to every coach for three of the major sports leagues in America, asking if they'll help her.
"I'm writing letters to all the NBA coaches, all the NFL coaches, all the Major League Baseball coaches, asking them to talk to the players about it," she said.
Schramm and her father, David, have set up a website, shipshoes4refugees.com. She hopes to see the project hit the ground running.
"I'm just one person, but if I get help, this could make a huge difference and it could change a lot of peoples lives," Schramm said.
Schramm plans to auction the first pair of shoes on April 4.
