Real estate mogul and billionaire Patrick Carroll comes from humble beginnings. “I am far from your typical success story. I got in some trouble growing up, didn’t go to college, and I’m basically self-taught.” This has inspired Patrick to give back to the community throughout his career. Beginning with donating to local food banks and hospitals at the start of his career in Atlanta he has always felt inspired to help others. But nothing moves him more than helping kids in need.
That’s why he has created a program called Kickz for Kids, through which Patrick plans to give away $1 million worth of brand name sneakers to kids who need them. This August, Patrick gave away 600 pairs of sneakers to underprivileged kids at the Union League Boys & Girls Club in Chicago. Patrick has strong ties to the Boys & Girls Club as he serves on the Board of the Tampa Boys and Girls Club.
Chicago was the fifth stop on the Kickz for Kids tour, and he plans to go to five more cities to donate more sneakers. Patrick doesn’t accept donations or sponsorships for the sneakers, providing all of them himself. But the Kickz for Kids program didn’t just offer the kids a brand-new pair of sneakers. Patrick also planned a fun-filled day. Celebrities who came to help hand out sneakers included D, George Daniels, Toxic, Van Johnson, Disney’s Briannagh, Seraphina Sanan, and Cortez Smith among others. GamesgoArcade donated games, there was pizza, a DJ and live art demo as well as appearances by the mascots, “Tommy Hawk” of the Chicago Bears and “Staley da Bear” of the Chicago Cubs.
Patrick was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1979 but grew up in Tampa Florida. While he began his career in Atlanta, the company he helms, CARROLL, has a portfolio of commercial and residential properties that spans the entire East Coast. This has spurred in Patrick a desire to help those beyond his immediate community, making Kickz for Kids a national program. Patrick has also engaged in international philanthropic endeavors. In 2022 he partnered with the Heart Fund to help provide food to those in need affected by the war in Ukraine. He also created the #billionaireschallenge. This social media effort is designed to encourage the wealthy to help those in need.
But Patrick most enjoys being able to give directly to kids in need. He describes the feeling of handing a new pair of sneakers to a kid and seeing their face light up and surprise as being better than any other. He also feels that he can serve as inspiration to kids, leading with the message, if he can do it so can they: “It’s important for the kids to understand the message, ‘Work hard for your dreams and you too can live the American dream.'”
As the weather gets colder, Patrick Carroll continues on his mission to give kids $1 million in sneakers and bring a smile to their faces.
