Borough plans to lower purple and gold sneaker in its first-ever New Year’s Eve celebration.
Students in Hannah Millard's art class at Akron Elementary School stand in front of a giant sneaker. Students at the school signed their names to the shoe, which will drop at Akron's New Year's Eve celebration.
By Rebecca C. Carroll
Published Dec 22, 2006 15:17
That’s right. For the first time, Akron Borough is joining in on New Year’s Eve festivities and will ‘Shoe-In 2007’.
At the stroke of midnight in front of the town clock, a 6-foot purple and gold sneaker will drop from a crane.
This free event offering food, music and carriage rides, begins at 10 p.m. on Main Street, between 7th and 9th streets.
Over the years, Akron Mayor John McBeth attended New Year’s Eve celebrations in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Lancaster. Last year, he visited Manheim’s celebration, to watch a small town ring in the new year.
“I was amazed by the simplicity of it,” he said. “The townspeople welcomed in the new year with friends and neighbors, and all of the children were participating.”
Joyce Moyer, of Akron, is chairman of the Shoe-In 2007 celebration.
“There’s nothing like this in the area. We’re trying to do more things for community identification and a family-oriented project,” she said.
But why a shoe?
Council members decided to drop the shoe to remember Miller, Hess & Co. Inc. shoe company. The shoe factory, formerly located at Main Street and Route 272 in Akron, opened its doors in 1901, and provided shoes for teenage girls and young women.
When the factory closed in September 1984 due to increasing competition from imports, 285 workers were displaced.
“For years it was the major employer in the area,” Moyer said. “We thought it would be fitting to do something with a shoe idea.”
The shoe was constructed by Howie Dixon, the vice president of Akron Elementary School’s PTO. Dixon, whose third-grade son attends the school, also works in construction. The Akron Borough council approached him to assemble the shoe.
Dixon finished making the lumber and plywood shoe in five days.
To involve the children of the community, students in kindergarten through fifth grade signed the shoe in their art class.
Hannah Millard, Akron Elementary School’s art teacher, attached stripes on the side of the shoe, so the children could sign their names.
“I think it’s good for the community morale,” she said. “It’s sending out the idea that the children are getting involved.”
Not only will the shoe drop help unite community members, it will also help those in need of shoes of their own.
New shoes for children and teenagers are being collected at six locations, including Akron Borough Hall, Ephrata National Bank (Akron Branch), Mennonite Central Committee, Piero’s Pizza N’ Pasta, Royer Pharmacy and Weiser’s Market.
The shoes collected will benefit Ephrata Area Social Services. As of last week, 75 pairs of shoes were collected.
“We wanted to stick with the shoe theme,” Moyer said. “With the collection of the shoes, someone else is benefiting from it.”
CONTACT US: rcarroll@LNPnews.com or 291-8733
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