TOMS Shoes: Twitter and Facebook Help Support One Day Without Shoes

One Day Without Shoes is a social awareness movement created by TOMS Shoes. Today is the day to kick your shoes off for a few minutes or hours, and help support a good cause by posting on Facebook or Twitter. TOMS Shoes, a company known for its philanthropic efforts and donating shoes to needy children, is calling on everyone to experience what a day without shoes would feel like. As you do your part to support One Day Without Shoes today, remember that TOMS has donated over 400,000 shoes to children in Argentina. Our social networking efforts can help donate even more.

TOMS Shoes
TOMS is a company with a simple promise; for every pair of shoes purchased, the company will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. TOMS has shoe styles and designs for everyone in the family. A $50 purchase gets you and a child a new pair of shoes.

Why Are Shoes Important?
Wearing shoes protects our feet. It is not so much about fashion but about health. Children without shoes suffer from cuts and scrapes on their feet. Such painful injuries lead to infections. Developing countries do not have the same immediate access to health care and health facilities.

Soil-transmitted diseases are a serious health risk in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, 400 million children are infected or at risk of being infected with worms that enter through the soles of bare feet. Soil-transmitted helminthes are intestinal worms or hookworms. Such intestinal parasites cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness. Other serious symptoms include affecting working and learning capacities and impairment of physical growth. Parasites cause chronic intestinal blood loss in children, which results in anemia.

Argentine schools, as well as many schools in other developing countries, require shoes as part of school uniform. Barefoot children do not have permission to go to school; therefore, they are unable to receive a proper education. Purchasing a pair of kicks from TOMS Shoes not only donates a pair of shoes to a child in need, but also gives that child an opportunity to walk into a school.

Take Your Shoes Off
To participate in One Day Without Shoes all you have to do is go barefoot. Take off your shoes for an entire day, several hours or for a few minutes. Do so at your convenience on April 8, from 8am - 5pm. Help spread the word by telling friends and family about it.

Raise Awareness on Twitter and Facebook
Associated Content is helping to promote One Day Without Shoes through social networking websites. Twitter and Facebook are full of supportive posts and barefoot participants. Celebrities including the Jonas Brothers and Jordin Sparks are supporting One Day Without Shoes.

Associated Content Contributors are participating and doing their best to help spread the word. Many thanks to Lyn Lomasi, Cordie Kellerman, Jolie du Pre, Kenzy England, Randy Barefoot, Julia Bodeeb, Angie Mohr, Linda StCyr, Ann Olson and ShawnTe Pierce. Many more participated by going barefoot and posting on Facebook and Twitter. Rodney Roller participated by taking his shoes off during his lunch break.

Twitter has over 6,000 "One Day Without Shoes" and #hardwithoutshoes tweets in support of the movement. Many thanks to Twitter users PinchingAbe and NeverShoutShazz. They joined joelovepeace, TonyAtSony, ddlovato, SmileyWaffles and thousands more Twitter supporters.

Keep spreading the word about One Day Without Shoes and TOMS. Copy and paste this article's URL into your Twitter and Facebook page. Use a hash tag #hardwithoutshoes on Twitter. Post about your participation and why you are supporting TOMS Shoes. Help this movement take off through social networks by directing everyone to Onedaywithoutshoes.com. Let every child live a healthier life and receive an education by receiving a pair of shoes.

Sources:
Onedaywithoutshoes.com
TOMS Movement
JoBros, Jordin Sparks and More Ask You To Go Shoeless Today
Kids Without Shoes: Houston Family Participates in Associated Content Goes Shoeless 2010
World Health Organization - Soil-transmitted helminths