When Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina for the first time, he fell in love with the country and the people, especially the children. But he noticed something was missing: No one had any shoes.
Mycoskie started TOMS shoes to give back to children in Argentina and around the world. For every pair of shoes someone buys, Mycoskie gives another pair to a child in need. The company has given over 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and over 68,000 pairs in South Africa. Now, Mycoskie is reaching out to OU and other college campuses to continue spreading his message.
OU students hosted the TOMS Style Your Sole event Monday night at Seven-47, 727 Asp Ave., to get the word out about the shoes. Volunteers helped sell the shoes and students were encouraged to bring old pairs to paint.
Aaron Conrado, microbiology junior, said shoes are a necessity and he is happy a company is filling that hole.
“Most of us take advantage of the fact that we have shoes on our feet,” Conrado said. “[But there are] lots of kids out there [who] don’t have shoes.”
Many students are looking for ways to get involved, and this is a premier opportunity to do so while helping out others as well, Kyle Reimer, visual communications sophomore, said.
Reimer said everyone needs shoes, so they might as well buy a pair to help a child in need.
“The cause matches the mentality at OU,” Reimer said.
Amy Henderson, marketing sophomore, said she found out about becoming a campus representative for TOMS at the end of the summer, and has devoted a great deal of time to spreading the word about Mycoskie’s cause.
Henderson teamed up with Kojo Yebah, electrical engineering junior, and Jakeb Black, microbiology senior, to prepare for OU’s first event promoting TOMS shoes.
This year, the company has a goal of giving 250,000 pairs of shoes, while simultaneously helping young people to be selfless, Black said.
“We have no budget, no money,” Black said. “We just want to help.”
He said campus representatives have a goal of selling as many shoes as possible to help the company reach its goal.
Even if they only sell 40 pairs, it still makes a difference, Black said.
Yebah said Style Your Sole is the first event on OU’s campus for TOMS shoes, but hardly thinks it will be the last.
Every semester the campus representatives have a goal of increasing awareness about TOMS shoes, Yebah said.
“To be a part of it is priceless. I wouldn’t do it any other way,” he said.
As campus representatives, Black, Henderson and Yebah are required to host two campus events to promote the TOMS cause. Yebah said they are trying to exceed the minimum.
Two representatives, called “vagavons,” from TOMS shoes travel around in a van to visit college campuses when the representatives hold events, Yebah said. The reps will be back in Norman on Saturday to help run a booth outside Lucca, 319 W. Boyd St., on Campus Corner.
The booth will be set up outside the store from 11 a.m. until the 7 p.m. kickoff of the OU-Nebraska game.
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peacegirl 3 years, 6 months ago
I think it is great that there are students willing to devote so much time to promote a cause such as this one. They all deserve accolades for their time, effort and enthusiasm. OU should be proud to have such caring and globally minded students on their campus.