Charleston reservists fly donated children's shoes to Belize

  • Published
  • By Maj. Bill Walsh
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) --  A Charleston-based C-17 Globemaster III carrying more than 15,000 pounds of shoes landed in Belize in early February as part of a humanitarian mission to the Central American country.

The Denton Amendment allows the U.S. military to transport, on a space-available basis, humanitarian supplies from non-governmental organizations to people around the world who are in need.

"I was on pins and needles just waiting to see if the plane left yet," said Beth Cirami, a full-time homemaker in St. Peters, Mo.

Ms. Cirami learned of the great need for children's shoes after having dinner with a friend who is a missionary in the small country.

"Father (Kevin) Henderman told us the kids were walking around barefoot, picking up worms which come through the feet and cause them to get sick," she said.

Ms. Cirami started a shoe drive in June and worked with 57 St. Louis area schools to collect shoes.  She stored in her two car garage, which quickly filled up.

"At one point, I had 582 boxes of shoes in my garage," said the mother of three. "We had a local storage company donate some mobile units and then found out it cost $80 dollars to ship one box to Belize." 

An aircrew from Air Force Reserve Command's 701st Airlift Squadron, a unit of the 315th Airlift Wing, picked up the ball and flew the mission, which delivered the shoes to children supported by Our Lady of Guadalupe Parrish in Belmopan, Belize.

"When you see the look on the faces of those kids and the people who meet the plane, it makes you proud to be part of all this," said Capt. Wayne Capps of the 315th AW. "When we do Denton missions, it really makes a difference in their lives."

Along with the shoes, the crew also transported medical supplies, which also were collected by the group to help people in Belize.

"Next year I want to collect school backpacks for the kids," said Ms. Cirami, who already is looking ahead to her next project. "It just shows that one person can really make a difference." (Courtesy of the Air Force Reserve Command News Service) 

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