To kick off the new year, Coronado and Franklin hosted a friendly shoe drive competition. The rival schools faced each other in girls’ and boys’ basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in the Franklin main gym. Since the game had a high attendance, it was the perfect opportunity for a charity event to attract maximum attention.

Both schools’ Student Councils organized a donation event to help better the El Paso community. They requested gently used and good conditioned shoes that will be collected by Dunk Your Kicks.

Dunk Your Kicks is part of the Max Cure Foundation, which raises money to help low-income and military families with children battling cancer. The shoe donations reduce the waste in landfills, help the less fortunate afford proper footwear, and provide jobs. As students walked into the main gym at Franklin, there were two boxes labeled with both schools’ names where shoes could be dropped off. There was no physical prize for the winner of this competition, but the winner does get bragging rights.

No matter what the competition is – sports, academics, or charity events – there are always high tensions to see who will come out on top.

“With it being senior year, it would be really nice to win Dunk Your Kicks one more time,” senior Hannah Tuttle said prior to the announcement.

Coronado won the competition last year, and the school was able to bring home a victory this year as well. Because of the efforts by students and staff, less economically privileged children with cancer received shoes, and Coronado and Franklin harnessed their competitive spirits for a great cause.