MYAC "Shoe City" Legacy Project: Honoring Our Past, Stepping Toward the Future
The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) is proud to present Project Shoe City, honoring Mishawaka’s legacy as a center for shoe manufacturing, highlighting both the pride in the city’s past and the creativity of today’s youth.
Through a partnership with Patronicity and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), the $35,000 crowdfunding goal was matched dollar for dollar. With the support of individuals, businesses, and organizations, the MYAC exceeded its goal and raised nearly $100,000 to make Project Shoe City a reality.
Each uniquely designed fiberglass shoe celebrates Mishawaka’s history, people, organizations, and community pride.
Together, we have created more than a public art trail—we have built a lasting legacy that will inspire pride, spark creativity, and strengthen community connections for years to come.
Our Shoe City Collection is Still Growing
The below interactive map is a work in progress. We’re continuing to add locations and details. Check back often as it evolves!
At its core, the Shoe City Project is a youth-driven legacy initiative that celebrates our community’s past while inspiring its future. Through the creation of large, artist-designed shoe sculptures displayed throughout the city, local youth are helping preserve an important chapter of our history while creating a lasting source of community pride.
The "Shoe City" Project represents:
- Honoring Our Heritage by celebrating the Ball-Band factory that helped shape our city’s growth, workforce, and identity.
- Empowering Youth Leadership by giving young people the opportunity to help design, create, and champion a lasting community legacy.
- Bringing Public Art to Our Community through large shoe sculptures that transform public spaces into vibrant destinations.
- Connecting Generations by preserving stories from the past while inspiring conversations about the future.
- Creating a Lasting Legacy that reflects where we have been, celebrates who we are today, and strengthens future connections in building a vibrant community.
The Shoe City Project is more than a public art installation—it is a community investment that honors our history, empowers our youth, and leaves a legacy that folks will be proud to call their own.
Memorial Shoe Donations
*Donated $500 or more
For a $50 donation, you can honor someone who worked at Ball Band/Uniroyal or commemorate a loved one who did by having their name displayed on the Ball Band Memorial Shoe. To participate, please contact the Mayor’s Office at 574-258-1601 or print and complete esta forma and mail it to the Mayor’s Office.
Anonymous*
August E. Baetsle
Domenico Bezi
Jack D. Biggs
Lloyd Biggs
Stacey Black*
Barnes & Thornburg*
Jack & Evelyn Cato
Mike & Jane Charnoski
Cressy Commercial Real Estate*
Jim DeRue
DLZ*
Steve Emery
The Ermeti Family*
Roberto & Kathy (Gervais) Escobedo
Lawson Fisher and Associates, PC*
Jim Foster
Elizabeth A. Garatoni*
Michael Garatoni*
Raymond Gervais
Cecilia Goossens
Ahmed Mustafa Jojo
Allie Ahmed Jojo, Sr. &
Elaine Genevieve (Riggs) Jojo
Eva Aliya Jojo
Jim & Margie Kish
Mardelle Ladyga
Doris Ladyga
Vicki Lentine
Marian High School*
Paula Meersman*
Mary Nagy
McCarthy Insurance Group, Inc.*
MJ Investements, LLC*
Mishawaka Building Trades*
Mishawaka Education Foundation*
Penn High School*
Richard Pfeil*
Edie & Louie Roelandts
Randy & Mary Ann Rompola*
Edgar & Elsie Schweisberger
SCM Students and Staff
Marie Scott
Patricia Showalter-Kaksa*
Helen Ann (Jojo) Simoon
Jeannette M. Souza
Richard L. Souza
Josephine Wiesjahn Trimboli
Gary Vaerewyck
Visit South Bend Mishawaka*
Sam Watson
Albert White
Elmer Bryan Whitfield
Elmer Tollie Whitfield
Louise (Van Daele) Whitfield
Lyle W. Wilkins
Diane E. Wittendorf*
Carol “CJ” Witz
Mayor Dave Wood*
A heartfelt thank you to our community partners, donors, and sponsors whose generosity
brought Project Shoe City to life.
Consejo Asesor Juvenil del Alcalde Dave Wood
Asistente ejecutivo: Cindy Reinoehl
Correo electrónico: [email protected]
Teléfono: 574-258-1601
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