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PRESS RELEASE: “Shoes of Hope Ballantyne to Help Children around the World”
Posted on November 24, 2008

 

Press Release
For Immediate Release
 
Allison Osman
allie.osman@yahoo.com
704-292-5957
 
“Shoes of Hope Ballantyne to Help Children around the World”
Shoes of Hope, an international shoe drive to benefit children in need, will kick off in the Ballantyne Community Nov. 27 and will run through Dec. 20. Shoes of Hope is a project of Samaritan’s Feet, a Charlotte-based nonprofit organization that collects and distributes new athletic shoes to underprivileged children. 
 
Rev. Emmanuel Ohonme, a Charlotte resident and native of Nigeria founded the program in 2003. At nine years of age, Ohonme received a pair of tennis shoes as a gift from an American donor. The shoes allowed him to participate in African youth sports programs and, as a result, he earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Dakota. As an adult, he left the security of his executive career and founded Samaritan’s Feet. The organization helps change the lives of children in need by providing them with a message of love and with shoes that not only afford comfort, but prevent infectious, debilitating and fatal diseases contracted through the soles of bare feet. Shoes donated to Samaritan’s Feet are distributed to children as near as Charlotte and New Orleans, and as far way as Haiti, Sudan, Darfur and Uganda.
 
Ballantyne residents Dick and Desire’ Osman are coordinating Ballantyne’s Shoes of Hope Drive, with the assistance of partner organizations Ballantyne Country Club, Ballantyne Residential Property Owners Association, Ballantyne Village, Kensington Neighborhood, and Forest Hill Church.
 
 “When I heard about Samaritan’s Feet, I just knew I had to help these children in some way,” said local shoe drive organizer Desire’ Osman. “Our goal through the shoe drive is to collect 1,000 pairs of shoes for distribution.”
 
The shoe drive will kick off at Ballantyne Country Club’s annual Turkey Trot at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day. Ballantyne Village will promote the drive at their Dec. 4 holiday event, A Day of Giving.
 
People interested in donating new athletic shoes, with the greatest need in children’s size 10 to adult size four, may drop off the shoes at a number of collection points. Shoes must be new, in order to meet hygiene and international regulations. Collection barrels will be located at the following locations.
 
Ballantyne Village
  • Ballantyne Village Theater
  • First floor outdoor breezeway
  • Sure Fit Shoes
 
Ballantyne Country Club
  • Main Clubhouse
  • Family Activity Center
  • 10615 Coyle Circle
 
Kensington Neighborhood
7232 Meadow Run Lane
 
According to Renee Trudeau, Ballantyne Village marketing and promotions manager, the shopping center is offering specials to support the shoe drive. People donating shoes at the center’s holiday event will receive a free ticket to be redeemed at the Ballantyne Village Movie Theater for a showing of the patron’s choice. Sure Fit Shoes is offering a special of up to 50 percent off selected shoes purchased for donation.
 
Monetary donations to Samaritan’s Feet will also be accepted at Ballantyne Country Club Main Clubhouse Reception, Ballantyne Village Theater, and Sure Fit Shoes, or by mail to Desire’ Osman at 10615 Coyle Circle, Charlotte, N.C. 28277. Checks should be made payable to Samaritan’s Feet.