Recently, the Ward Melville National Art Honor Society partnered with TOMS to merge creativity with community service. TOMS, a popular shoe company, has an ongoing program that allows customers to donate to Africans simply by buying a pair of shoes. For every pair of shoes that is bought TOMS donates another pair to a child in Africa. For their project, members of the after-school club bought their own Toms and painted designs on the shoes.

“My favorite project this year is the TOMS project,” said sophomore Fangrui Tang. “It’s a really good cause. Plus, it’s fun to decorate your own shoe.” Fangrui is an active member of the club.

Many other members of National Art Honor Society agree that this was one of the most unique and generous projects that the club has done. Harriet O’Brien, another sophomore, said, “It’s fun to decorate shoes. It’s something that I’ve never really done before.”

“I like the fact that we get to put designs on shoes,” said Amber Li, who is joining the club for her first year at Ward Melville. “It’s not like paper, which is what I usually paint or draw on. It’s a completely different dimension, and that adds to the creativity.”

Next year’s club president, Jennifer Lin, explains that one of her favorite things about the club is that it not only promotes art, but also selflessness and good will. “I hope to give other people things that we take for granted. This project is a lot of fun. We get to learn and help the community at the same time.”