Toms, the shoe company known for its one-for-one charity model, has launched its eighth annual One Day Without Shoes campaign today to raise awareness for children's health and education.
One Day Without Shoes is the initiative each year that Toms raises awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child's life. This year, from May 5-May 21, for every photo of bare feet tagged on Instagram #withoutshoes, Toms will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need no purchase necessary.
“This year's One Day Without Shoes will be different than any we've ever done,” said Mycoskie. “We're extending the timeframe to build awareness and anticipation, but most importantly, so that more people can participate in an effort to give more. The best part is that even if someone is not a Toms customer, he or she can simply take a photo and post #withoutshoes to make sure a child in need somewhere in the world will get a new pair.”
Millions of children around the world grow up without shoes, at risk of infection and disease. Children lacking access to education and good health struggle to break the poverty cycle for themselves, their families and their communities. With the complex issues surrounding poverty, there is not one solution, but many working together. Toms believes that shoes play an important role in helping keep children healthy, educated and moving toward opportunities for a better future. Some notable statistics to consider:
Health – Podoconiosis is a debilitating disease that causes extremely painful swelling of the feet and legs. Podoconiosis affects more than 4 million people in at least 15 countries.
Education – Providing children with school uniforms – which often include shoes – can increase school attendance by 62 percent.
Empowerment – When shoes are integrated into programs with larger community development goals, they empower children and their families to get the care and support they need.
For this year's ODWS, Toms has attracted the support of Clear Channel, which will help raise awareness for the campaign through their network of digital advertising spaces across the country.
“Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA) is proud to leverage our digital out of home network in partnership with Toms to support respected charitable organizations around the world as they help children,” said Scott Wells, CEO, CCOA.
Toms' Giving Partners for the campaign include respected organizations such as IOCC in Ethiopia and Magic Bus in India. For more information about One Day Without Shoes, please visit: Toms.com/onedaywithoutshoes.
