Shoes on their Feet - ADC Hartley

I’m a small business owner in Stittsville, I own a kids shoe store called Kiddie Kobbler and my online store is called Young Soles.  In 2019 I
started a charity called Shoes on their Feet.  
My goal that year was to collect 1000 pairs of shoes for a local organization while I trained for my first Ironman in Lake  Placid.  I ended up
donating over 600 pairs of shoes which was
amazing, but I didn’t have a the Ironman finish I hoped for.   2020 was supposed to be the best year ever personally and professionally, I was turning 50 and ready to chase Ironman 
dreams again.

Then Covid hit...

The year has been challenging to say the least not just for small business owners, but for our youth and seniors too.  As a business, we
persevered on trying to do what we needed to do in this new covid environment just to
survive. We managed and are surviving.  

My world came to a halt last August.  My mom called me and told me she was sick - she
wasn’t sure what was wrong, but they
suspected cancer,  and were doing more
tests.  She worsened over the course of a few weeks and then was admitted into the hospital at the beginning of September and passed
away on September 14.  She was gone just like that.  I guess we were lucky tho, we got those
last weeks with her to tell her how much she
meant to us and how much we loved her. 

I decided last year that I had to turn all the negative into something positive and that I had to do something that was going to challenge me personally and professionally.  I was fortunate to meet Samantha Cooper owner of Ability
Dogs Canada during training for my dog
Boomer. I was able to witness all the amazing things she doing by providing service dogs (seizure, PTSD, mental health, intervention) to
children in need of them.  I
knew in that moment I had to get involved andhelp.

I am sponsoring a service dog from ADC
through my charity Shoes on their Feet.  I am involved in the whole process from fostering the pup to
choosing the applicant. Samantha will accept applications until the end of the year then we will choose a child this dog will go to.  I will cover
the whole cost of $18,000 through fundraisingthis summer.

My goal is to fundraiser the money as I train
for 2 Ironman’s (IMLP and IMMT),  a Lumberjack Challenge (2K, 5K, 10K, Marathon) at the Ottawa Mararhon, and run Chicago Marathon in October (all depending on covid and travel restrictions).

The dog is a black lab pup from MasonRidge
Retreivers in Mallorytown.  He will be named after my mom and he represents love, loyalty,
independence, stregth and inclusion.  He will do great things.  He will change the life of a child for forever..

Friends meet ADC Hartley