Cancún, Quintana Roo — More than 117,000 elementary school students in Benito Juárez will receive a free pair of sneakers this year as part of the municipality’s back-to-school support program, which will reach over 470 public schools a week after the next school year begins.
Berenice Sosa Osorio, Benito Juárez’s Secretary of Welfare, said the city government is in the final stages of administrative and logistical processes to ensure timely delivery. She urged parents not to buy sneakers, as the support is guaranteed.
“Yes, there will be a sneaker delivery. We are already handling all the necessary administrative procedures, so we ask parents to avoid spending on what we know will be provided by both the state and municipal governments. It’s a fact that we will continue these very successful programs,” she said.
The program is coordinated with the Quintana Roo Department of Education (SEQ), which provides the official student enrollment registry needed to plan distribution at each school.
Sosa Osorio noted that due to the program’s scale, all municipal departments are participating in the distribution operation, aiming to visit more than 470 schools and hand out over 117,000 pairs of sneakers.
“The entire city government is participating. There’s no other way to carry out such an important program. The only way to reach all schools and meet this goal is by working as a team,” she said.
She also announced that this year’s sneakers will feature a new design, though changes will be mainly aesthetic and will not affect quality or functionality.
Distribution will not take place on the first day of classes but about a week after the official start, once schools have completed enrollment and have the final student count.
Sosa Osorio emphasized that this support is part of a joint strategy between the state government and the municipality to reduce the economic burden of back-to-school expenses for Cancun families.
“Today the city government is contributing with sneakers, and through the state government, there are also supports like backpacks, school supplies, and uniforms. All of this helps family finances, especially for those with three, four or more children in school. We’ve found large families in various neighborhoods and we know stretching the budget isn’t easy,” she said.
She reiterated the call for parents to stay tuned for distribution dates and trust that the support will arrive, so that students have their school footwear without an additional expense for their households.
