About Us
The Cocoa Classic was founded by Collin Maher as a sophomore at The Mount Vernon School in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Collin noticed children at a local food bank wearing worn-out shoes and decided to do something about it. What started as an Eagle Scout project grew into a nationally recognized event that put brand-new shoes on the feet of more than 1,600 children in the Sandy Springs community.
Collin Charles Maher passed away on May 15, 2026, at the age of 19. He was a runner, an Eagle Scout, a student at Washington University in St. Louis, and one of those rare people whose enthusiasm for life and love for others made everyone around him feel genuinely seen. His family misses him beyond measure.
In his memory, the Cocoa Classic continues — now with an expanded mission to support teen mental health organizations alongside our original commitment to putting shoes on children who need them. Collin believed every child deserves the resources to walk into the world with confidence and joy. That belief doesn't end with him.
About the Cocoa Classic
Cocoa Classic is a 501(c)(3) charity organization with a mission to positively impact children from low-income families in the Atlanta community by providing the resources every kid deserves. Our mission is to empower children through increased physical activity and healthy living, which leads to increased self-confidence and improved school performance.
Cocoa Classic has partnered with Shoes That Fit to raise money to purchase shoes for economically disadvantaged elementary school students in Sandy Springs.
Shoes That Fit is a national organization that tackles one of the most visible signs of poverty in America by giving children in need new athletic shoes to attend school with dignity and joy, preparing to learn, play, and thrive.
A new pair of shoes can be a life-changing event for a child. School attendance, self-esteem, and behavior improve. Physical activity increases. Smiles return. All from an often-overlooked good pair of shoes.
Where is the money going?
Donations to the Cocoa Classic now support two missions that Collin cared about deeply:
New shoes for economically disadvantaged elementary school students in the Atlanta community, in partnership with Shoes That Fit — because a new pair of shoes changes how a child feels about themselves at school.
And teen mental health organizations — because mental health struggles are real, and they can be invisible even in the young people who seem happiest and most full of life.
All donations are tax-deductible. The IRS-registered nonprofit name is Collins Classic Charities Corporation.
Donations are tax-deductible and can qualify for employee matching programs. The IRS-registered non-profit name is Collins Classic Charities Corporation.