Cooper Creek United Methodist Church is having its 10th annual Sneaker Sunday this weekend to raise money to buy shoes for children in need.

Members of the church are working to make this the biggest year yet by hosting a silent auction, cakewalk and live music, and serving hamburgers and hot dogs.

The church is working with Interfaith Ministries of Denton.

Interfaith is a United Way agency that provides emergency financial assistance. The group is supported by several local churches, businesses, individuals and grants.

Every year, Interfaith Ministries participates in the Apple Tree Project to give school supplies, backpacks, clothing and shoes to children of low-income families.

Condell Garden, executive director of Interfaith Ministries, said 40 percent of children in the Denton school district are living in poverty, based on federal poverty guidelines outlined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources.

The organization tries to help 1,000 children each year, Garden said.

With the money that Cooper Creek raises, Interfaith purchases gift cards from Payless ShoeSource to give to children to buy shoes for the new school year.

Payless offers a donation of about 15 percent each year when Interfaith buys the gift cards, Garden said.

Interfaith Ministries decided to offer gift cards instead of buying shoes because shoe sizes can change between the time the group begins taking applications in May and the start of school.

Garden said it takes about $25,000 to give gift cards to 1,000 children.

“Cooper Creek is at the forefront,” she said. “They are a very mission-minded, proactive church.”

Karen Williams, lay leader at Cooper Creek, said each year the members collect between $2,000 and $3,000 but their hope is to surpass that total this year.

The church has an average membership of 30 people.

“We are a small church, but we do a lot of mission stuff,” said Walter Laney, church council chairman. “We try to do a mission project every month.”

Arvin Ruyle, church coordinator for Sneaker Sunday, said the members previously raised all funds, but now the church is trying to get the community involved.

The event will be from noon to 4 p.m. at Cooper Creek United Methodist Church, 5209 Mingo Road.

Williams said the church’s pastor “is excited … to wear jeans and tennis shoes.”

During the morning service, the church will take a special offering.

Following the service, free hamburgers and hot dogs will be served until 3 p.m., and the silent auction bidding will last until 3:30 p.m. The festivities also will include singing of old-fashioned hymns, a cakewalk, children’s book walk and activity booths for kids.

The silent auction will offer a variety of items, including tickets to Lone Star Park, Texas Motor Speedway, Billy Bob’s Texas, SMU sports and FC Dallas; a University of North Texas Athletics family fun pass; sports memorabilia; restaurant gift cards; and spa gift cards.

Williams said donations have been abundant this year. Local businesses donated the food and most of the auction items.

Laney said the event normally is held in late July, but the church decided to have the event earlier this year with hopes the weather would be cooler.

“It’s going to be hot,” he said. “But we’ll have fun.”

RACHEL MEHLHAFF can be reached at 940-566-6897. Her e-mail address is rmehlhaff@dentonrc.com .