NCAA and Samaritan’s Feet Distribute Free Shoes During Final Four Week in New Orleans

MEDIA ALERT
March 28, 2011

NCAA and Samaritan’s Feet Distribute Free Shoes During Final Four Week in New Orleans

Who:
The NCAA is teaming up with Samaritan’s Feet, a humanitarian non-profit agency, during Final Four Week.

What:
New shoes will be given to kids, and boxes of food (from non-profit Feed the Hungry) will be distributed to families of students.

When:
Thursday, March 29; 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where:
Dr. King Charter School, 1617 Caffin Ave., New Orleans, La, 70117

More:
As part of a series of community outreach events during Final Four Week, Samaritan’s Feet and the NCAA are distributing 867 pairs of shoes among students at Dr. King Charter School.

NCAA College Basketball Analyst and former NBA star Clark Kellogg, South Dakota State University coach Scott Nagy, Georgia State University coach Ron Hunter, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith, LSU and Tulane basketball teams and coaches, as well as coaches from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, will participate alongside volunteers from throughout New Orleans in the distributions. (The coaches are slated to arrive at 1:45-2:00 p.m.)

Volunteers will wash the feet of each shoe recipient, a symbol of care and respect, and then give them each new socks and shoes provided by Samaritan’s Feet. Throughout this Final Four Week, Samaritan’s Feet and the NCAA are distributing a total of 2,012 pairs of shoes.

(Note to editors: the events are open to the media but not the public, as the recipients have already been identified. Please do not publish location, date or time until after the event has occurred.)

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About Samaritan’s Feet:
Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3), humanitarian aid organization that shares a message of hope and love by distributing new shoes and washing the feet of under-served individuals around the world.

Samaritan’s Feet International was founded in 2003 by Nigerian born Manny Ohonme and his wife Tracie for the purpose of sharing hope with the under-served and hurting people of the world by washing their feet, giving them a new pair of shoes, and empowering them to believe that their dreams can come true.

Manny received his first pair of shoes at the age of nine from a missionary. Those shoes allowed him to learn and play 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.

The people of Samaritan’s Feet believe that shoes are so much more than status symbols and fashion accessories. A new pair of shoes can be a symbol of hope and the source of life to a person in need. Samaritan’s Feet shoe distributions are designed to both meet physical needs and inspire young people to believe in the value of life and service. These distributions are the outpouring of the Samaritan’s Feet dedication to changing hearts and lives forever.

Our goal is to provide 10 million pairs of shoes in the next 10 years, and since 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and our team of ambassadors have served an estimated 3.5 million individuals in over 60 countries.

Media Contact:
Todd Melloh
Samaritan’s Feet, Director of Sports and Scholastic Marketing
317-417-3525
tmelloh@samaritansfeet.org