Nearly 800 Co-Op City middle school students received new sneakers on Wednesday courtesy of 4 time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Shaquille ‘Shaq’ O’Neal. At a meet-and-greet last year in Bay Plaza Mall, the kindness of five students from M.S. 180 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, left such an impression on O’Neal that he committed to giving them and all their peers a free pair of his signature Shaq sneakers.
The five students who met O’Neal —Shayna Ceesay, Yohan Harriet, Navin Jakiaran, Kristopher Lee and Anthony Rodriguez— were all honored with certificates of recognition.
Ceesay, an eighth-grader, said that her friend group went to Bay Plaza to meet O’Neal, tried getting his attention and ultimately got a photo.
She recalls that when she asked O’Neal if he would come to their school, he said he would make it happen.
O’Neal was unable to attend the event in-person due to broadcast responsibilities related to the ongoing NBA Finals. The room still roared multiple times with cheers in support of the New York Knicks.
The event began with a musical prelude introduced by M.S. 180 Principal Marlon Williams – students performed an instrumental rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and a choir then sang “Bonse Aba.”
Dr. Joyce-Zoe Farley, who is the Social Justice Co-Chair of the North Bronx Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, introduced other speakers and honorees, but not before reminding students to “take this as a lesson in what you do when nobody’s watching you.”
“Today is not only about giving you sneakers because of your five classmates and their behavior, but today is also an opportunity to commemorate them, and for them to be a gleaning example of what happens when no one is looking,” Farley said.
Farley led the students and all attendees in recording a thank-you video to send to O’Neal.
“Everywhere you go, everyone you see, everyone you meet, you are being interviewed for something and that is something greater,” Bailey said. “You are always being watched and you should always be on point,” recognizing the honorees as an example.
Council Member Riley said to “take advantage of every opportunity that will cross your path, because there will be many more opportunities to come.”
The honorees were given the opportunity to choose which shoes they preferred first. In the following hour and later throughout the day, other students picked their own pair of various Shaq sneakers.
Principal Williams said he hopes the students absorb the powers of graciousness and character from the event.
“Often the good kids, who aren’t [on] honor roll or aren’t in trouble, in a lot of spaces they don’t get seen. It’s great to see a bunch of regular kids doing regular things, and today celebrating that, it’s worth everything,” Williams said.
