Catie's Closet WALKtober Challenge

Step by Step, Help Students Walk with Confidence

Help us give 250 children in urgent need a brand new pair of sneakers!

Step with purpose this October and help local children put their best foot forward. Join Catie's Closet's WALKtober Challenge and help provide 250 children in need with brand-new sneakers. From October 17–31, every step you take supports students who deserve to feel comfortable, confident, and ready to participate fully at school and beyond.

How It Works:

Track as many steps as you can each day between October 17 and October 31. Participate as an individual and set your own goal, or create a team and invite family, friends, classmates, or colleagues to join the fun.

Walk, run, hike, dance, or move however you like. After all, every step counts!

Prizes:

The top three individual participants with the highest number of steps will receive gift cards toward a brand-new pair of sneakers:

• First Place: $150 gift card
• Second Place: $100 gift card
• Third Place: $50 gift card

The top three teams with the most total steps and the top three teams with the most participants will each receive a special sneaker trophy.

Registration Information:

100% of proceeds go toward purchasing a brand-new pair of sneakers for a child in need.
$30 per person 18 years and older
$15 per person between 12 and 17 years
Free for children 11 and younger

Registration opens October 1, 2026.

Fundraising

Looking to make an even bigger impact? When you register, you'll have the option to create a personal or team fundraising page to help provide additional pairs of sneakers for students in need.

Participants will receive a fundraising toolkit filled with easy and creative ways to engage family, friends, and coworkers in supporting the cause. Special recognition will be given to the top individual fundraiser and top fundraising team.

Whether you're walking the dog, taking a lunchtime stroll, logging miles on a treadmill, or dancing around the kitchen, every step brings us closer to our goal of providing 250 children with a brand-new pair of sneakers.

Together, we can help students feel comfortable, confident, and ready to thrive—one step at a time.

Read More About Your Impact

It’s time to start counting your steps for Catie’s Closet WALKtober Step Challenge. We’re so excited to see how far you will go! 

How to Enter Your Steps

You can submit your step daily by following these steps:

1 - Log in to your RunSignUp Account.
2 - Go to your profile.
3 - Click Submit Virtual Results, where you see the WALKtober Step Challenge.

Step Tracking:

There are many easy ways you can track your steps. Here are some ideas: 
Apps:

• Leap Step Counter
• MyFitnessPal
• MapMyWalk
• Strava
• Pacer
• Apple Health App (iPhone)
• Google Health App (Android)

Devices:

• Smart Watch (Apple Watch, Garmin, Samsung Galaxy Watch)
• FitBit
• Pedometer

Treadmill:
Some treadmills have a step counter. If you are running/walking on a treadmill with distance calculation only, on average, every mile is 2,000 steps.
Prizes

Don't forget about the prizes on the line!

The top three individuals with the most steps will receive a gift card to buy new sneakers!

• 1st Place: $150 Gift Card
• 2nd Place: $100 Gift Card
• 3rd Place: $50 Gift Card

The top three teams with the most steps and the top three teams with the most members will each win a special sneaker trophy! 🏆

Fundraisers:
Now that the WALKtober Step Challenge has officially started, it is a great time to kick off your fundraiser if you haven’t already done so! 

Haven't started a fundraiser yet? Start one today to help fund even more sneakers.

THANK YOU!
We want to take this opportunity as an organization to say THANK YOU for being a part of this important challenge. Sneakers are one of our students’ most requested items. 

We believe every child should be equipped with not only what they need to succeed, but also to feel their best every step they take toward a brighter future. We are so grateful for your support!

A new pair of sneakers can mean so much more than a pair of shoes. For a child in need, it can mean comfort walking into school, confidence on the playground, and the ability to fully participate in everyday moments.

As the cost of clothing continues to rise, many families are struggling to afford the essentials their growing children need. Catie's Closet helps bridge that gap by providing new sneakers through our In-School Closet Program and SOS Urgent Response Program.

Every pair we provide is thoughtfully selected to ensure students receive shoes that fit properly and help them feel confident. Your support helps us meet this urgent need and give students the strong foundation they need to take their next step forward.

Ready to Step Up to the Challenge?

Register here

Start your fundraiser to help fund more sneakers here