How a New Jersey town became a hub for sneaker philanthropy

Darryl “Brotha D” Glover is dialing in from the mecca, or at least the holy land for sneakerheads.

At the time of the call, Glover is in Beaverton, Oregon, for The Gathering, an annual event that unites some of the footwear industry’s most passionate enthusiasts outside Nike’s world headquarters.

A night earlier, Glover was shaking hands and sharing stories with Nike CEO Elliott Hill.

Just days before that, however, he was hosting a gathering of his own in a far more personal setting.

Passport to Possibilities, the third installment of the annual back-to-school event for his hometown of Pleasantville, New Jersey, drew more than 1,000 students and nearly as many adults last month. The event provides sneakers, services and professional introductions to residents looking to dream bigger.

“The whole entire event is storytelling,” Glover told Andscape of the Sole Scholars Foundation event, hosted at the church where he was both baptized and married. “All of the elements and activations are part of my journey.”

Founded in 2024 by Glover, the Sole Scholars Foundation is a Pleasantville-based nonprofit. It serves students and families in low-income school districts — Title 1 communities — that receive additional funding from the federal government. Services include providing school supplies, sneakers and other resources to help students start the school year prepared.

According to the National Retail Federation, families with school-age children are expected to spend an average of $863.86 on back-to-school items in 2026. Glover said Sole Scholars was created in part to help offset that burden for families in Pleasantville.

“It takes about $800 to properly outfit a student and prepare them for school,” Glover said. “That’s book bags, clothing, sneakers, pencils, paper, calculators, folders, Trapper Keepers, etc. We try our best to alleviate as much of the financial burden for these families as possible and get them prepared the best they can be.”

In three years, Glover has connected corporate sponsors and local volunteers around a mission to serve his hometown of Pleasantville.

Thanks to him, organizations ranging from Foot Locker to the NAACP are investing resources in the coastal city of about 20,000.

“I went home after that first event almost in disbelief,” Brittany Green, an Atlantic County native who commutes from nearby Ocean City, New Jersey, to volunteer, told Andscape. “I watched Darryl and his wife, Carmella, pour so much into families in Pleasantville. What struck me most was how understated they were about the impact they were making.”

Glover, who always positions Pleasantville as his hometown when speaking to sponsors, has quickly seen the fruits of his labor grow.

In 2024, Sole Scholars served 107 students and raised $7,400. Since launching, the organization has served nearly 3,000 students through its programming. At last month’s event, Sole Scholars served 1,087 students and raised $24,300, growth fueled by 60 volunteers and 18 in-kind partners.

“It was a labor of love, and the community responded,” Glover said. “Every year we take the planning seriously, but this year we doubled down on our efforts.”

From JD Sports to StockX, L’Oréal to Mitchell & Ness, Glover has leveraged his equity in the sneaker community to bring major brands across industries into the people and dreams of his small town.

“I was able to build these relationships by being a sneakerhead and working for some of these brands,” Glover said. “I own over 1,000 pairs of shoes. To give back more sneakers than I actually own is the one thing where I pat myself on the back.”

A lifelong passion for sneakers has allowed Glover to travel the world and build a career spanning brands. More importantly, it has provided his hometown with a platform to receive more than just shoes.

“We gave free physicals for student-athletes,” Glover said. “We had record expungement. We had voter registration. We had substance abuse utility vehicles. We had Atlantic City Electric helping people with their bills and winterizing their homes.”

Already, the annual Sole Scholars event serves more than children, reaching Pleasantville residents of all ages and needs.

Glover hopes to take the Sole Scholars model to additional Title I communities. The foundation’s goal for 2027 is to raise $50,000 and serve 2,000 students.

But for now, it’s his humble hometown that’s both reaping the benefits and setting the precedent.

“This is exactly the kind of investment an urban community like Pleasantville deserves,” Green said. “We want families to leave with tangible resources, but we also want them to leave with a memory and the feeling that someone cared enough to show up for them.”

The memories extend beyond goods and services. A photo station prints custom trading cards, while students use Scholar Dollars to learn budgeting, spending them at food vendors and a lemonade stand run by Glover’s third-grade daughter, Zoe.

For professional development, all students are required to speak with five vendor sponsors and learn about career opportunities before claiming their free shoes.

“I’ve been working with a lot of brands to bring their HR and talent acquisition teams on-site,” Glover said. “The goal next year is to do interviews live at the event and guarantee a Pleasantville resident a job.”

As Glover gets ready for another footwear-filled day in the city both Nike and Adidas call home, the world-famous Kobe Bryant collector will rub shoulders with industry executives and decorated designers.

“From the moment I open my eyes and say my prayers, I’m searching for sneakers,” Glover said. “Studying, and being a sponge. The No. 1 dream is a collaboration for Sole Scholars. I’m putting that out there.”

Still, he never forgets the place he came from, recognizing that sneakers created both a way out and a way back.

“My love for my city is very strong,” Glover said. “I want to extend my hand and resources so that these kids can be better than me.”