Team New Balance athlete and Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka went back to the area where he grew up on December 6 to enjoy the opening of the brand’s newest store in Westfield, White City.

As a child, Bukayo often went to the Westfield shopping center, and the new store is not far from where he grew up. To remember his childhood, Bukayo asked students from the elementary and high schools he had been to to come see him at the New Balance shop. The kids were invited to the event based on how well they did in school, sports, and behavior. This is a great way to encourage students to work hard in school and give them the biggest prize for their efforts.

Instagram’s “Elevate” program works with black athletes to support and raise their views online and help them connect with their own stories. The event, which was put together with Meta’s help, is part of this program.

When asked about the event, Bukayo said, “I loved going to Westfield when I was young, so it is special for me to see a store there with my face on the front now.” To celebrate the opening, I wanted to do something good for the neighborhood and include kids who are growing up in the same area as me, so I could possibly inspire them to have big dreams too.

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Additionally, the event serves as a chance to promote awareness of the UK-based charity Street Soccer Foundation, a sport-for-change organization that works to better the lives of vulnerable and homeless youth nationwide by using football as a catalyst. As a longtime supporter of the organization, Bukayo most recently donated more than 100 pairs of his exclusive Furon v7 Seven Edition football boots, which were released in September.

A certain quantity of the Own Now footwear will be available at the New Balance Westfield White City shop as a memento of the occasion. The highly sought-after boots are exclusively available at a few merchants and will only be in stock for a brief period of time.