By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

HAYDEN — No shoes, no racing, no fun.

No to all of that, says cross country coach Colene Hotmer.

Hotmer, of Athol, helped start an elementary cross country program in the Lakeland School District 10 years ago. Her first event at Athol Elementary was small, but rewarding.

"It was really great," she said. "Everyone got a prize for running."

The next year the number of runners grew to more than 100. That's when she noticed something important was missing.

"That was the year it was really obvious there were at least a dozen kids who didn’t have running shoes of any kind," she said. "They would run in their cowboy boots or flats."

She would tell them not to forget their running shoes for a race, and some would be embarrassed.

"They’d look down and say, 'I don’t own a pair.'"

That just didn't sit well with this mom of eight, so she founded Running Shoes 4 Kids, a nonprofit that motivates youngsters to lead healthy, active lives. Out of this effort, the Run 2 Summer all-age fun run was also created.

"I felt really inspired that we needed to help these kids who don't have shoes," she said. "What came to my mind was for kids to have a race for running shoes."

Running Shoes 4 Kids has partnered with Lakeland schools to encourage good behavior through the prize of a new pair of kicks. One kid per class per quarter or month who has turned in all homework assignments or exhibited excellent behavior is rewarded with the shoes. The schools that nominate kids have teachers and counselors keeping close eyes on who best represents and would benefit most from this program.

Just last month, this part of the program blossomed into its own kindness campaign: #GoGood.

"When kids do good things or make good choices, then RS4K awards kids with a pair of running shoes," Hotmer said.

RS4K is also working with the Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County, Coeur d'Alene and Lakeland school districts, Safe Passage Violence Prevention Center and Hope on the Homefront, a resource for local families in need, to spread the #GoGood message and get more shoes to more young athletes.

Hotmer said the biggest reason she and her team are pushing to help kids with something as simple as running shoes is because when she lost her 17-year-old daughter to suicide, it became more important than ever to let kids know they're loved.

"There's so many kids silently suffering," she said. "We need to just help them a little and let them know people love them just because, and that they're special, and that they are good."

The seventh annual Running Shoes 4 Kids Run 2 Summer Kids Races and 5K will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Hayden Canyon Charter, 13590 N. Government Way, Hayden. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. Ages 3 to 6, quarter-mile run; ages 7 to 10, half-mile run; ages 11 to 14, 1-mile run; and all ages are welcome to participate in the 5K.

Pre-registration is $10 for ages 14 and younger, $15 for 15 and older. Same-day registration is $15 for 14 and younger and $20 for 15 and older. Half of the registration fees support RS4K, the other half will go back into the community to help other programs for kids.

Vendors, food trucks and other fun will be on site. Each runner will receive a free ticket for a shoe raffle, and 50 pairs will be raffled off that day.

RS4K has gifted more than 500 pairs of running shoes since its inception in 2012.

Info: www.RunningShoes4Kids.com