HIGH POINT, N.C., April 18, 2012 – If you spotted students around the campus of High Point University going barefoot – they had a good reason. They were raising awareness and educating fellow students on the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life during the national “One Day Without Shoes” event, originally created by TOMS Shoes.
Held at the Slane basketball courts on campus, the daylong carnival included ZUMBA, live bands, feet painting, a raffle and a silent auction for a pair of TOMS Shoes. The event also included a barefoot walk around campus.
High Point University placed third nationally among participating colleges and universities for obtaining the most pledges from students to go barefoot that day.
TOMS Shoes gives shoes to children around the world in need. Shoes can help protect against injury, and in combination with basic hygiene and sanitation, help prevent disease and soil-transmitted infections.
Some of the most common infections seen world-wide include:
– Podoconiosis – 4,000,000 people have podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring soil-based disease.
– Hookworm – 740,000,000 people are affected by hookworm, which can cause intestinal pain, weakness and cognitive impairment.
– Dangerous Debris – 30,000 people live on one landfill in the Philippines, where many are without shoes and are exposed to broken glass, syringes and debris.
– Jiggers – 1,890,000 Kenyan children are infected by jiggers – burrowing fleas that cause a painful infection.
Emma Newell and Rianna Lane, co-presidents of the campus TOMS Shoes Club, say the event was a huge success.
“This event was bigger than anything than we have ever done in the past,” Newell says. “We want to continue to make this a successful club by raising awareness about this issue within the High Point community. We believe that One Day Without Shoes is a very important day – not only to HPU, but to the entire world. We are just a small part of the movement that TOMS Shoes headquarters started. It’s imperative to spread the word and get everyone to take part in the movement – even just for one day. We should show our support and stand for those who are in need.”
For more information, visit www.OneDayWithoutShoes.com.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]