Baby moccasins worn by a child aboard the RMS Titanic provide a poignant introduction to the Titanic Museums’ 2023 “The Year of the Titanic Children”.
“For the first time anywhere, the Children of Titanic will be remembered in a two-year tribute to their courage and resilience during one of the greatest sea tragedies the world has ever known,” said Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, President/COO and Co-Owner of the Titanic Museum Attractions.
According to Kellogg-Joslyn, there were 135 children on board the RMS Titanic ranging in age from nine weeks to 14-years, each with a story to tell.
“This is our mission for 2023 – to shine a light on their young lives, to speak their names and to honor their legacy,” said Kellogg-Joslyn. “The iconic image of the children’s shoes serves to capture the spirit of this major event and prepare our guests for a powerful new look into the RMS Titanic’s final days through the eyes of the children.”
Kellogg-Joslyn explains that one of those stories is that of Alden Caldwell, an RMS Titanic survivor who was 10 months old when he was rescued with his mother, Sylvia, and father, Albert, off Lifeboat 13. After Albert, Alden’s father, passed in 1977, his family found a number of RMS Titanic-related items in his personal belongings including a photo of his family aboard the RMS Titanic, several books and a pamphlet about the Titanic printed the year the ship sank, and a pair of baby booties, belonging to his son Alden. Alden’s family has spent years researching the origins of the booties and the family’s connection to the RMS Titanic. His cousin, Julie Hedgepeth Williams, went on to write a book on their story, called “A Rare Titanic Family.” Dr. Williams will attend the exclusive media event at Titanic Museum Attraction – Pigeon Forge on Monday, March 13, and will help unveil Alden’s baby shoes.
Kellogg-Joslyn says that when the Titanic Museums began developing 2023’s “The Year of the Titanic Children,” the team also wanted to find a way to give back.
“As we dedicate our Titanic Museums to the 135 innocent children aboard the RMS Titanic, Samaritan’s Feet International allows us to dedicate our museums to the children of today,” said Kellogg Joslyn. “We are proud to announce a partnership that has been created with a non-profit whose mission aligns with elements of “The Year of the Titanic Children” campaign, one of which are the children’s shoes that will be on display. Samaritan’s Feet International, a Charlotte, North Carolina non-profit organization that serves and inspires hope in children across the world by providing shoes, was the perfect fit.”
According to Samaritan’s Feet International, shoes and socks are in the top five items that students are in need of in the United States.
“Samaritan’s Feet is honored to partner with Titanic Museum Attractions as they pay tribute to the children who were aboard the RMS Titanic through a special campaign over the next two years. Together, we will inspire hope in the lives of thousands of children in need across the home states of the Titanic Museum, in Tennessee and Missouri, by providing them with shoes and giving them the encouragement to follow their dreams. We are so grateful for partners like the Titanic Museum Attractions who are helping us reach our goal of serving 10 million people by the end of the year,” said Manny Ohonme, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Feet International.
The Titanic Museum Attractions are honored to help Samaritan’s Feet International towards their goal of serving 10 million people and the exclusive media unveiling event on Monday, March 13 comes just ahead of “National Shoe the World Day,” which occurs annually on March 15.
“Samaritan’s Feet International has distributed shoes to more than nine million individuals across the United States and around the world since its founding in 2003. Samaritan’s Feet is on a mission to reach their goal of giving away a total of 10 million pairs of shoes by December 2023,” said Kellogg-Joslyn. “The Titanic Museums in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo. will help make this happen through our partnership by giving back to the communities who have supported us so deeply and enthusiastically over the past 17 years.”
The Titanic Museum Attraction opens daily at 9 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made online at www.titanicattraction.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.
