“One for one,” is is the motto of TOMS shoe company. TOMS matches every pair of their shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. The movement has evolved into a worldwide effort to spread awareness that made its way to campus through Sigma Alpha Beta.
April 10 marked this year’s installment of TOMS’s annual “Day Without Shoes,” and students could be found throughout the day shoeless in classrooms, by the fountains and even in the MDR. Sigma Alpha Beta worked for a second year in a row with TOMS in sponsoring and registering the event, and in turn the organization was provided with promotional materials such as the iconic TOMS flags stickers.
Some students participated in the event without even knowing why. Sigma Alpha Beta Vice President, Zac Boyer, explained mission behind the event.
“The event was to bring awareness to the thousands of people in developing and third world countries who live everyday without shoes,” Boyer said. “Many diseases, such as hookworm and other dermal [skin] diseases, can easily be avoided with some foot covering.”
Students were asked to walk without shoes to know what people in under-developed countries face every day. Walking across asphalt, carpet and cement does not quite reflect the hardships people in less fortunate countries face, but organizers hope that taking the chance to experience being shoeless for the day gives people the opportunity to imagine the extent of how people in third world countries live day to day.
“I think this event definitely helped raise awareness of the impact of a single pair of shoes on a child’s life,” Day Without Shoes participant Stephen Rossi said.
“It’s challenging. Without shoes it hurts to step on rocks, glass and to walk on the freezing ground. I’m surprised no student here got sick from freezing feet. It really makes you think about how much worse off other people are than us. It makes you want to contribute more,” Rossi said.
While the “Day Without Shoes” was a worldwide event that included thousands of participants, Capital University was able to contribute about two hundred of their own students to the final count despite the freezing weather.
“I was happy to contribute to the cause because I love TOMS and I support their cause. I did it at my high school last year too. Plus I just hate wearing shoes!” participant Jenna Kreider said.
While many organizations utilize their resources for something flashy and abrasive to get their point across, TOMS spread their message in a simple, fun and discreet way that in turn offered another, unexpected form of entertainment according to Boyer.
“It is always fun to compare filthy feet with other participants at the end of the day of walking around shoeless.”
