Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver Steve Smith Providing New Shoes and Encouragement for New Orleans Children

MEDIA ALERT

Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver Steve Smith Providing New Shoes and Encouragement for New Orleans Children.

Shoes of Hope Shoe Distribution at Arise Academy

WHAT:
Humanitarian non-profit Samaritan’s Feet is pleased to announce its Shoes of Hope shoe distribution event in New Orleans, LA.

Samaritan’s Feet is working with Nick’s International Community Foundation to provide hope and encouragement to children in need.

The Nick’s International Community Foundation guests will receive new athletic shoes and socks, and have their feet washed by volunteers from the community.

WHO:
NFL Wide Receiver Steve Smith has partnered with Samaritan’s Feet to make this event possible. Nick’s International Community Foundation is hosting the Samaritan’s Feet organized event.

Smith will be on site to serve Saturday afternoon before the Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints game on Sunday.

WHY:
Samaritan’s Feet, supported by Lifetouch Sports, announces the football version of its “Barefoot For Bare Feet” movement created in 2007. Steve Smith’s bare feet will tell the story of impoverished children throughout the world and right here in the US by symbolically leaving his shoes at midfield. Smith will then walk off the field in his bare feet and into the locker room to bring awareness to the fact that 2/3 of the world’s population lives on less than $2.50 per day leaving millions of families not able to buy food and shoes.

Smith’s efforts will continue throughout each of the 16 regular season games as he attempts to raise 500,000 pairs of shoes. Steve will encourage other players to join the movement to provide a voice for the 300 million children who wake up every day without shoes to put on their feet.

Samaritan’s Feet will auction off Steve’s game worn shoes. The money raised will go towards providing new shoes to impoverished children.

Before each of the eight Carolina Panthers away games, Smith will distribute new shoes and socks to impoverished individuals in the cities that the Carolina Panthers play in.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Recipients have been pre-registered but media guests are welcome for photo and video opportunities. This event is not open to the public.

WHEN:
December 29, 2012
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Arise Academy
3819 St. Claude Ave.
New Orleans, LA
70117

# # #
ABOUT SAMARITAN’S FEET: Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian aid organization that shares a message of hope and love through washing the feet of impoverished children around the world and adorning them with new shoes. There are an estimated 300 million children who go without shoes every day and more than one million that die each year from foot borne disease. Our goal is to provide 10 million pairs of shoes for children in the next 10 years, and since 2003 Samaritan’s Feet and its team of ambassadors have blessed more than four million children in more than 60 nations.
Samaritan’s Feet was started in 2003 by Manny Ohonme who received his first pair of shoes at the age of nine from a missionary. Those shoes allowed him to learn and play the game of basketball, which ultimately earned him a scholarship to the University of North Dakota (Lake Region). Manny went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and pursued a successful career in supply chain software industries. A simple pair of shoes and the kindness and compassion shared by this missionary changed the course of Manny’s life. Learn more at www.samaritansfeet.org.

Media Contact:
Kevin S. Warren
Samaritan’s Feet, Associate Director of Marketing
704-200-2206
kwarren@samaritansfeet.org