John Russo

PLEASANTVILLE — David Lawrence couldn’t wait to show off his brand new white Nike sneakers with a blue paw print on the tongue.

“It looks like a dog!” said the 5-year-old Pleasantville resident, who loves dogs.

David’s father, Frank Lawrence, brought four of his six children to Mount Zion Baptist Church on Saturday for the Sole Scholars Back-to-School Giveaway. Hundreds of families waited in a line that wrapped around the church before 11 a.m. to get a free backpack for each kid filled with school supplies before making their way to the main attraction of Saturday’s event — a free sneaker giveaway for the kids.

“They are so excited,” said the elder Lawrence.

This is the second year Darryl Glover, founder of the Sole Scholars Foundation in 2024, held his back-to-school givea

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