White Lake Township, MI—A Barbie, a new shiny bike or perhaps even a puppy… these are the types of gifts one would expect a four year old to ask for on her fifth birthday. Not Mia! This Michigan based young lady can teach many of us about the spirit of giving. She decided that for her 5TH birthday, she wanted all of her friends and family to come to her party and bring a new pair of winter boots for needy children in Armenia.

“I saw a little girl on TV that decided to deliver boots to an orphanage. I thought maybe I could do that because we both have lots of stuff already,” said Mia.

Her mom, Debbie Dalbis, contacted the Detroit Chapter of share-a-pair, a project of The Paros Foundation to see if Mia’s wish could be fulfilled and the boots that she was aiming to collect actually get onto the feet of needy children in Armenia. On May 19th, family and friends gathered to celebrate Mia’s 5th birthday. The net result is this special five year-old’s wish came true. This winter, almost 200 children (that is 400 feet!) will have warm and dry feet thanks to Mia’s selflessness, her mom’s commitment to her community, and the generosity of Mia’s family and friends.

“Mia is an incredible little girl and with the support of her family, has done an incredible thing. “Said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “We will ship these new boots to Armenia and distribute them to vulnerable children this fall so they can wear the boots this winter.”

Share-a-pair has distributed more than 12,600 pairs of shoes to vulnerable children in Armenia. Distributions will continue through the month of July during a regional distribution campaign, during which an additional 12,200 pair will put on the feet of children in need. Share-a-pair was started in 2010 with a fixed goal of collecting and distributing 1,000 pairs for Armenia’s children. It has since met the initial goal and has grown into a substantial humanitarian effort.

Formally launched in 2006, The Paros Foundation’s goal is to develop high-quality, high-integrity non-governmental organizations in Armenia by providing guidance and needed resources. This includes providing inspiring office space; free of charge, to three of the six organizations The Foundation works with in Armenia. To honor the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, The Paros Foundation launched The Paros 100 for 100, Projects for Prosperity program to implement 100 special projects, to help grow Armenia stronger and improve the lives of her people. For more information on The Paros Foundation or the Paros 100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity visit www.paros-foundation.org/.