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April 08, 2010
Two years ago, as a gift I received a gift certificate for a pair of TOMS (short for tomorrow shoes) along with a DVD that outlined creator, Blake Mycoskie ‘One for One’ business model that for every pair of shoes that is purchased, TOMS gives one pair of new shoes to a child who would otherwise not have access. I soon received my first pair of TOMS; three pairs later, I love the shoes for their comfort and style and I have had great respect for the company.
April 8th 2010 marks the third annual “One Day Without Shoes Event” which asks people to literally walk a day in the ‘shoes’ of a child in a developing country and go barefoot to raise awareness. Without shoes, many children cannot attend school as it is often a uniform requirement; are at risk of developing infections from cuts and scrapes; and in countries like Ethiopia are suffering from podoconiosis, a painful and disfiguring disease caused entirely by walking on volcanic soil. Such a crippling disease can entirely be prevented by something as seemingly simple as shoes, and while hundreds of thousands are affected, it is not often talked about. In Ethiopia, shoes are not just an accessory, but the key to preventing podoconiosis.
The One Day Without Shoes website describes the event as:
“The day we spread awareness about the impact a simple pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. On April 8th, we ask people to go the day, part of the day or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience a life without shoes first-hand, and inspire others at the same time.”
Unfortunately there were very few events taking place in Ontario, and surprisingly none in Toronto. Since this was where I spent this particularly rainy day, I wore my TOMS to show my support. Hopefully next year I will be able to participate in an event, but from all the photos and videos posted on the One Day Without Shoes website, it looks as though a lot of people were able to spread the word about this worthy cause.
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