With $1,000 from television talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Pittsburgh teacher Abbie Silverman found a way to pay it forward by obtaining new sneakers for all 425 students at Liberty Elementary School in Shadyside.

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Ms. Silverman, who teaches first grade at Liberty, her mother, Claudette, and her twin sister, Megan Sigal, appeared on yesterday's broadcast of "Oprah." The show was taped last Tuesday. A video showing Ms. Silverman's 22 pupils from Liberty Elementary School and Little's Shoes in Squirrel Hill is shown during the broadcast.

The expression "pay it forward" is a challenge that asks people to think of a way to change the world, then make it happen. A movie called "Pay It Forward" was released in 2000.

Earlier this year, Ms. Silverman wrote a two-paragraph essay about kindness and submitted it to the Web site for Ms. Winfrey's talk show. Two days later, the show's producers invited her to the show's Chicago television studio. Along with all other audience members, Ms. Silverman received $1,000 to use for a charitable cause.

The first grade teacher knew that new shoes were an unaffordable luxury for many of her young pupils, some of whom wore worn-out pairs or footwear that was several sizes too small.

Ms. Silverman talked with her twin sister, Megan Sigal, who is married to Justin Sigal, son of Joel Sigal, owner of Little's Shoes in Squirrel Hill. Joel Sigal called Merrell, a Rockford, Mich., company known for producing durable outdoors shoes. After the children's feet were measured, the company donated 425 pairs worth a total of $25,000. Students at Liberty Elementary received new shoes on Nov. 2.

The following day, students and teachers held a walk-a-thon and raised $25,000. Those funds were presented to Children's Hospital so it can buy new books for sick children.

With the walk-a-thon funds, Merrell Shoes donation, $2,000 from Little's Shoes, $2,000 from Ms. Winfrey and in-kind gifts from Scholastic Books, Barnes & Noble and G & G Fitness, the students raised more than $63,000, Ms. Silverman said.

Initially, Ms. Winfrey challenged 350 people to pay it forward. The show's producers chose to highlight the experiences of 10 people who leveraged more acts of kindness with Ms. Winfrey's money.

"My kids were able to receive the shoes but then they were able to give back by walking and by giving the books to Children's Hospital. It's a real life example of how wonderful it is to give," Ms. Silverman said. "No one else paid it forward like we did."