Our Mission
It started with a simple idea.
In 2012, a youth cross-country coach noticed many kids didn't have proper shoes to participate in. It was then that Colene Hotmer, Founder and President of RS4K, recognized the need to help the youth in our community.
When the first pair of running shoes was given to a 3rd grade boy, his face lit up with excitement! This feeling of gratitude and accomplishment ignited the mission that RS4K remains committed to today, empowering the youth in our community to see their own value and believe in their resilience to achieve even the hardest things - one step at a time.
Our Mission is to bring our community together by helping to support local families and empowering kids to make positive choices.
Today, RS4K strives to serve North Idaho:
encouraging kids to choose a healthy, active lifestyle by providing them with quality running shoes;
strengthening our community by supporting kids, families, schools, local organizations, and small businesses;
and empowering every individual to believe that they have the ability to make positive choices and the resilience to accomplish hard things.
How It’s Going
-
RS4K started small, with just a few runners receiving new shoes.
We’ve now given away over 1,100 pairs of athletic shoes to kids and runners of all ages.
-
We’ve organized 88 community events and counting - most notably our Run 2 Summer Fun Run, a full-day community event including live music, local vendors and activities for kids.
Over 1,090 runners have participated in our fun runs over the years, ranging in age from 3 to 75.
-
And we’ve partnered with local schools, supplying shoes to kids who need them and empowering kids to believe in themselves through our Project #GoGood student outreach program.
Make a donation.
Donations to RS4K help us to continue providing quality athletic shoes to kids in Kootenai County and empower them to #GoGood through our school outreach programs.