American Idol Kris Allen and hundreds of UCA students spent a day without shoes Thursday to bring awareness for the need for shoes for Rwandan children.
The Barefoot Walk ties in with the global initiative “One Day Without Shoes” sponsored by TOMS Shoes, a California based shoe company, in which participants are encouraged to not wear shoes for one day. Allen led barefoot UCA students, employees and Conway residents from the Student Center courtyard to Reynolds Performance Center. He was pleased with the support of the UCA community.
“When we got to the bridge and someone told me to look back, I could see everyone and it was going back pretty far,” Allen said. “I think that’s a testament to UCA, Conway and Arkansas. If you say, ‘Hey, will you get behind me?’ They will say ‘absolutely.’ “Allen, a Bridge2Rwanda volunteer, recently returned from Rwanda after delivering 1,000 pairs of TOMS shoes to Rwandan children. He also provided music lessons to high school students.
During his trip, Allen saw children without shoes, some who had two left foot shoes and some whose shoes were too small. He even shared a story about a little boy who was wearing worn girls shoes.
“You just don’t see that over here,” Allen said.
TOMS shoes donates one pair of shoes to a child each time a pair is purchased. In less than four years, the company has provided more than 600,000 pairs of shoes to children. More 30,000 shoes will be delivered this summer.
“It is not just a nice thing for children to have, it actually boost their health, their learning and their potential to be productive adults,” said Jessica Shortall, director of giving for TOMS.
Dale Dawson, CEO of Bridge2Rwanda based in Little Rock, added, “Children who are barefoot, if they are not healthy, they don’t go to school. If they don’t go to school, they don’t become entrepreneurs.”
Following the walk, Allen and representatives with Bridge2Rwanda and TOMS spoke about the shoe program and other initiatives in Rwanda during a presentation at Reynolds Performance Hall.
UCA President Allen Meadors, who walked out on stage without shoes, commended the students for taking part in the Barefoot Walk.
“This is the epitome of what we want our students to be a part of, and that is something beyond themselves that will help other people,” Meadors said. “We are so proud of Kris Allen for taking this charge and working with a wonderful group of people who are trying to make a difference in this world.”
UCA student Karla Mason participated in the event in hopes of raising awareness about people who have to go without shoes.
“There are people who are less fortunate than we are and we kind of take things for granted,” Mason said. “I may not go shoeless every day, but I certainly sympathize with what they have to go through.”
