Surgeons of Service has partnered with Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) to run a bi-annual internal shoe drive. These shoes are to benefit not only the children of Las Terrenas, but also those in need from the tri-county area of Greene, Putnam, and Morgan Counties. Other recent events by LOA students include: Anna Harris (LOA sophomore) who has spearheaded the first Shoes of Service Fun Run and 5K on Lake Oconee Academy’s campus on April 8, 2017. This event is intended to be a fun event promoting community involvement and encouraging donations to help cover the shipping cost of transporting the shoes to Las Terrenas. Katie Tran (LOA sophomore) has coordinated a LOA Talent Show scheduled for April 28th, 2017 to collect monetary donations and used shoes, and Colby Fournier (LOA 7th grader) initiated her own shoe drive, Sole Mission, collecting roughly 200 pair of shoes from the lake community in 2016. All proceeds and collected shoes from these events have been designated to benefit the Surgeons of Service cause.
Without community involvement and countless others, Surgeons of Service would not be possible. Local realtor Kelly Littleton has been actively involved with the organization and logistics of the Surgeons of Service cause donating time and participating on multiple trips. Additionally, Scott Stinson of Benzer Pharmacy has donated medications and supplies for the clinic and has also participated in multiple trips to Las Terrenas.