SULLIVAN, Ind. )WTWO/WAWV) — A family’s love and a community’s heart have turned tragedy into generosity through Casey’s Kicks and the annual fundraiser in memory of Casey Drake.
“I love this picture of him,” Angie Wilson said. “It’s one of my favorites.”
In a dining room filled with love, Angie Wilson flips through old photographs. Snapshots of her son, Casey Drake, gone too soon, but never forgotten.
“There were lots of tears going through these,” Angie said as she fought back the tears. “Because to be real honest with you, it’s hard for me to go through pictures. I don’t do it very often.”
Looking through a photo album, Angie stops at a photo of Casey and his daughter, who was just three years old at the time of his death. “Ava was his pride and joy, and she looks so much like him,” she said.
Casey Drake died in a motorcycle accident in 2012. He was just 23 years old. In the midst of heartbreak, his family came together to create Casey’s Kicks, a fundraiser that gives new shoes to local students in need.
“We were searching for a way to feel better and keep his memory alive because one of my fears is that he’s forgotten,” Angie said. “I feel like God designed us to feel better when we give back.”
August 9, 2025, will mark the 13th annual fundraiser. The one-day event is held each year in August around Casey’s birthday. The event features live music, a silent auction and a pasta dinner. It generates thousands of dollars each year to help children walk into school with dignity and confidence year-round.
Angie shared that while preparing for this interview, she pushed through tears to find some old photographs of Casey to share. When she looked through the photo memories, something unexpected surfaced.
“I found this Christmas list,” she said while holding up a white piece of paper with a handwritten letter to Santa. “He says in the middle of it that ‘I want Nike shoes’ and he wanted good shoes.”
Angie says the Christmas list was Casey’s from childhood. The list felt like a sign, a reminder.
“I worry every year, is this going to be the year that it (Casey’s Kicks) dies, you know,” she questioned.
Angie expressed her gratitude for the community because they continue to show up.
The money raised from the event is given directly to local schools and is used to purchase shoes for kids who need them most. Guidance Counselor, Sarah Hannah, recalls the moment she put a new pair of shoes on a student.
“He couldn’t stop watching his feet walk across the carpet and into the classroom,” Sarah said. “So cute, he looked at the side, he looked at the back, and was just overjoyed,” he added.
“Shoes are an important thing,” Angie said. “Sometimes it’s a status thing with kids, and some are ostracized because of that. If we can step in and help, that helps us, too.”
Each pair is more than just a necessity; it’s a piece of Casey’s legacy. A legacy of style, of generosity, and of love. Something so simple, yet life-changing for the kids.
“Buying kids a new pair of shoes is so important,” Sarah said. “Shoes are kind of a luxury for some,” she added.
And for Casey’s family, “It heals,” Angie said. “It’s healing for us to be able to give back.”
As for that pair of Nike Shoes that Casey once asked Santa for, now bringing joy to students across Sullivan County.
Casey Drake may be gone, but with every step taken in a new pair of shoes, his spirit walks on.
This year’s event is set for Saturday, August 9th, at 6 p.m. at Crossroads Community Church in Sullivan. The community is invited for a homemade pasta dinner, live music, a silent auction, and the chance to walk alongside a community that shows what it means to love big.
