I’m still getting used to my return from Paris, and so is my Apple Watch. My watch seemed a little confused as the miles kept piling up during the Olympics; although there were numerous and efficient transportation options, there was no getting around the fact that you had to get around a lot. We walked quite a lot of miles every day, so myself and photographer Erik Yettaw actually needed new shoes.

I headed to a Foot Locker in Paris, fairly certain I would find shoes that would stand up to the test of time and not just meet the style requirements of one of the fashion capitals of the world. As I sat down to try on the padded workhorses I’d found, I was overcome by the feeling that always comes with a great pair of new shoes. It was that “put the old shoes in the box, I’ll wear these at home” experience. And I have to say, life rushing from venue to venue suddenly felt much, much better. Glorious, even.

I thought of this moment as we collected thousands of pairs of new shoes on Tuesday in collaboration with Lace Up Detroit. At the risk of sounding like Carrie Bradshaw, brand new shoes are incredible. As we sorted and stacked the shoes that were delivered (once again by Detroiters, some of the most giving people in the world) I kept opening the boxes to peek inside at what I knew would soon be so cherished and celebrated by the children starting the new school year. I thought back to back to school many years ago and how it always involved a trip to the store (in my case, PX) to buy new clothes and a new pair of sneakers. But that’s not easy for every family and I thought about that today. And what I quickly realized was that all of this resonated with so many others just as it did with me.

One of them was Larry Kraft of Serta Restokraft Mattress. He called me last night to tell me he saw our Monday newscasts and our fundraising appeal for our Go 4 It event. Larry, too, recognizes the simple magic a new pair of shoes has on a child. Not only did he donate $15,000 to the cause, but he reached out to his friend Rachel Stewart of Gardner White Furniture. He told me she said, “Larry, you never ask me for money.” That meant his request meant something, and Rachel decided to match Larry’s generous donation. But whether you’re Larry Kraft or one of the many with more modest means who stopped by to donate, I was moved by the realization that sending a child into a new school year with a brand new foundation under their feet is a great act of kindness and grace. It’s an investment in that child, which is an investment in our community, in our city.

Marilyn Monroe said, “Give a girl the right shoes. She can conquer the world.”

Yes, something like that.

—> Join in: How to donate to Lace Up Detroit for children’s athletic shoes