Noah Farrelly's life's dream was to run competitively at the Division I level, a goal he achieved when he enrolled at Stony Brook University in the fall of 2018. But it wasn't the miles he logged that people talk about most. It was his ability to connect — a genuine, caring nature that made him someone friends, teammates, and even strangers felt at ease with.

On December 4, 2018, Noah was struck and killed by a vehicle while out on a training run. Through organ donation, he saved six lives. Yet the detective who handled Noah's case told us Noah's impact wouldn't stop there — that a ripple effect of good would carry his story to countless others we'd never even know about: people moved to register as organ donors, drivers who'd think twice before passing a runner too closely. That idea has stayed with us ever since. We decided to honor Noah by keeping that ripple growing.

In the days that followed, our family was met with an outpouring of support from every corner of Noah's life — a scale of grief and generosity that reflected just how many people he'd touched, more than even he ever realized. That outpouring became part of Noah's ripple too. The Noah Farrelly Memorial Fund is how we keep it growing: returning the love we received to the community that carried us through, and cultivating more of what made Noah so loved in the first place — the kindness and empathy he showed so naturally, in people all around him.

See that love and kindness at work in our programs today.

Binghamton is home to one of the highest concentrations of childhood poverty in the Southern Tier. According to New York State Education Department data, 71% of Binghamton City School District students qualify for free lunch — a rate far higher than most neighboring districts, and one that reflects just how many local families are stretching every dollar to get by.

For many of these families, a properly fitting pair of sneakers is a real financial stretch — and going without one isn't just uncomfortable, it's a safety issue. Pediatric foot health experts note that shoes that are too small, too worn, or the wrong fit can leave growing feet without the support and stability they need to run and play safely. Farrelly's Feet exists to close that gap.

The program began small: 50 pairs of sneakers donated to MacArthur Elementary, Noah's own elementary school. Since then, Farrelly's Feet has grown to serve all seven BCSD elementary schools, and we've now donated more than 2,000 pairs of sneakers to date.

School social workers, who know their students and families best, identify children who could benefit — quietly and with care, so that no child is ever singled out or made to feel different for receiving a new pair of shoes. We also deliver sneakers mid-year, rather than at the start of the school year. Most back-to-school shoe drives happen in August and September, when donations and attention are easy to find. By winter and spring, growing feet need new shoes just as much — but the help has largely moved on. Farrelly's Feet is there for that second half of the year, when it's needed just as much and noticed far less.

Kind Soles is our newest program, facilitated by the Binghamton City School District: motivational assemblies for all BCSD students, grades K-12, paired with a community-wide shoe drive that gives students a hands-on way to put kindness into action. The assemblies are led by Brian Williams, founder of Think Kindness, whose kindness movement has reached more than 1,000 schools nationwide. Brian teaches students that no act of kindness is too small, and that every student has the power to change the world around them. Students leave with a challenge: to document 5,000 acts of kindness in just 15 days.

The shoe drive is one way students can meet that challenge: as they collect gently used shoes from family, friends, and neighbors, every pair is processed by Funds2Orgs, the nation's leading shoe-drive fundraising company. The proceeds flow directly back into our community, funding new sneakers for BCSD elementary students in need through our flagship program, Farrelly's Feet — which has already put more than 2,000 pairs of sneakers on the feet of Binghamton kids — while the donated shoes go on to create opportunity for micro-entrepreneurs and families in developing nations.

Kind Soles reaches beyond BCSD's school walls, inviting businesses and organizations across our community to serve as drop-off sites and giving everyone — students, families, and community members — a simple, tangible way to be part of the ripple effect of good Noah's life continues to create.

Every pair collected, new or gently used, moves us one step closer to every Binghamton child having safe, properly fitting shoes.

Soon after Noah's accident, our family was moved and amazed by the wide variety of people who reached out to share their stories of how he had made a difference in their lives. The acts they described weren't rare, extraordinary, or heroic — just small, everyday acts of caring, compassion, or moral support that genuinely mattered to them.

Noah was a strong student and a talented athlete, and it would have been easy to create a scholarship honoring either. But grades and athletic ability are already recognized everywhere. What stood out most about Noah was his empathy, and we believe that deserves the same recognition.

We invite Binghamton City School District students, faculty, and staff to share their own stories of how their chosen nominee made a difference in their lives or the lives of those around them by demonstrating a spirit of humanity and goodwill toward others. The winner is selected by a committee of friends dear to Noah's heart.

Contact the Binghamton High School guidance office for more details.