No Regular ‘Sweet 16th’ for Midlands Teen

GILBERT, S.C. (WOLO) — One midlands girl forgoes her sweet 16 birthday celebration to give back to others. Lexi Ricard recently turned 16. But, instead of partying, she started a shoe drive, called ‘Sweet 16 Soles Shoe Drive.’ She partnered with Soles for Souls, a charitable organization, to collect new and gently worn shoes. In a couple of months, she has received more than 1,600 thousands of donated pairs of shoes that will be given to organizations that provides shoes for the needy all over the world. She said she wanted to take the focus off of her and put it on others, even though she turned 16 on April 24. Because she chose to put others first, she was surprised with a new car. If you’d like to contribute financially or donate shoes, lxsricard@gmail.com.