The Westside girls basketball team sponsored a shoe drive in honor of varsity basketball player senior Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor’s sister Olivia McGinnis-Taylor, who died of a brain aneurysm at the age of 12. The shoe drive took place on Saturday, Feb. 8. McGinnis-Taylor said that the shoe drive is important to her and her family; as her family has been holding it with the Love, Olivia foundation since her sister’s passing.

“My sister loved to help people and would be so happy to see what we are doing to love the people in our community,” McGinnis-Taylor said. “Each year at the Nothin’ But Net youth basketball tournament and at a Westside High School basketball game, we collect gently used shoes.”

McGinnis said that Westside girls varsity basketball coach Steve Clark assisted her in spreading the word about the shoe drive.

“This year, we collected shoes at the basketball game against Lincoln Southwest,” McGinnis-Taylor said. “We promoted through social media and Coach Clark shared with the Lincoln Southwest team and they donated as well. It was really a great event and I am so grateful to everyone who has donated and continues to support the Love Olivia Foundation and keep sharing the love.”  

Once the shoes are collected, McGinnis-Taylor said the Love, Olivia Foundation cleans the donated shoes.

“Once we receive the shoes, we clean the shoes and sometimes put new laces in, put tags on them and give them out to people in need in our local community,” McGinnis-Taylor said. “Most of the shoes we receive look great after we wash them and clean them up a bit.”

Clark said that the shoe drive reflects  the girls basketball program values. 

“Our program vision is to create lifelong relationships while competing for state championships,” Clark said. “This shoe drive was an opportunity to cultivate our relationship with the McGinnis-Taylor family and be able to serve others in need of shoes.”