American Idol winner Kris Allen, a University of Central Arkansas alum, will return to his alma mater Thursday to lead the Barefoot Walk. This special event will highlight two Arkansas-based non-profits that provide support to Rwanda.
The Barefoot Walk at UCA begins at 3 p.m. in the Student Center courtyard and concludes at the Reynolds Performance Hall, where Allen will take stage and discuss his recent trip to Rwanda. He is expected to perform two or three songs.
Registration for the walk begins at 2:15 p.m. in front of the Student Center courtyard. Free event tickets will be handed out at that time to Barefoot Walk participants. The tickets are necessary for admission into the Reynolds Performance Hall. Approximately 1,150 tickets are available and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The Barefoot Walk ties in with a global initiative sponsored by TOMS Shoes, a Santa Monica, California-based shoe manufacturer, in which participants are encouraged to not wear shoes for one day. The date chosen this year is April 8.
The two benefiting Arkansas-based non-profits are Bridge2Rwanda, a Little Rock-based non-profit which is helping rebuild the country of Rwanda through entrepreneurship, and Heifer International which also administers strong support programs in Rwanda.
“This should be a fun event for UCA and it carries an added meaning because it draws attention to Bridge2Rwanda and Heifer International, who do such outstanding work in Rwanda,” said Kendra Regher, director of the Student Activities Board, which is sponsoring the event.
T-shirts will be on sale at the event. All proceeds will go to Bridge2Rwanda.
Allen who returned from Rwanda April 2, was visiting the country as part of Bridge2Rwanda’s volunteer program. While there, he delivered thousands of TOMS shoes to Rwandan children and provided music lessons to high school students.
Allen’s UCA appearance follows Heifer International’s Barefoot Bash, which is planned for Wednesday, April 7.
