Arsenal and England superstar, and Team New Balance athlete, Bukayo Saka returned to his childhood neighborhood on Wednesday, December 6th, to celebrate the opening of the newest New Balance store in Westfield, White City.

Bukayo grew up just a short distance from the new store and frequently visited the Westfield shopping center. To honor his childhood, he invited children from his former primary and secondary schools to meet him at the New Balance store. The attendees were chosen for this exclusive event based on their academic, athletic, and behavioral achievements, offering a fantastic incentive for students to focus on their education and rewarding their hard work..

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The event, in partnership with Meta, is part of Instagram’s ‘Elevate’ program, which collaborates with Black athletes to support and amplify their voices online, helping them connect with their personal stories.

When asked about the event, Bukayo shared, “I used to visit Westfield a lot when I was young, so it’s incredible to see a store there with my face on it now. I wanted to do something special to celebrate the opening that would benefit the local community and involve kids growing up in a similar area to me, hopefully encouraging them to dream big as well.”

The event also aims to raise awareness for the UK-based charity Street Soccer Foundation, a sport-for-change organization dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable and homeless youth across the country by using football as a catalyst. As a long-time supporter, Bukayo recently donated over 100 pairs of his exclusive Furon v7 Seven Edition football boots, which were released in September.

A limited quantity of the Own Now footwear will be available at the New Balance store in Westfield White City as a commemorative item from the event. These highly sought-after boots will be exclusively available at select retailers for a short time only.