It’s an amazingly ambitious, tremendously compelling humanitarian event that’s calling America to “walk barefoot” this October to benefit a world in which a pair of shoes can be life changing gift. That’s the short definition of “World Walk,” –the fulfillment of Nigerian-born Samaritan’s Feet founder Emmanual “Manny” Ohonme’s passion to provide shoes for the world’s neediest children—a mission that to date is on course to bring 10 million “soles” to the feet of the impoverished people of the world.

Founding Samaritan’s Feet in a world community where today more than 300 million children are without shoes, perhaps more than almost anyone else Manny Ohonme profoundly knows first hand the “hope” a simple pair of shoes can give to a child.

The seeds of the vision of Samaritan Feet to shod the world’s poor were planted some twenty-eight years ago on a hot summer afternoon in Lagos, Nigeria when a missionary gave a poor barefoot African child the simple gift of a pair of tennis shoes. That 9 year old boy was Manny Ohonme and that one pair of treasured shoes carried him on the beginning a journey that ultimately allowed him to play basketball, receive a scholarship from a U.S. University, and go on to receive both a Bachelors and Master Degree from the University of North Dakota. In 2003, Manny left a lucrative career in the technology industry to devote his life to founding the ministry work of Samaritan’s Feet.

To date, through the efforts of the organization more than three quarters of a million pairs of shoes have been delivered to children in need, both globally and within the U.S. to locations as far flung as South Africa, Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Brazil, Nigeria, Peru, Guyana, Mexico, Malawi, Sri Lanka in response to the devasting Tsunami, and within the U.S. to New Orleans in response to the after effects of the Katrina disaster. The outreach has grown to include medical supply resources for children affected with diseases—such as in Guatemala where ringworm and other infectious outbreaks are a result of being barefoot in unsanitary conditions.

THE WALK:

On October 11th, Manny Ohonme will put his feet where his heart is, and once again go barefoot. This time, to begin a 300 mile “barefoot walk” to raise awareness for Samaritan’s Feet and their global mission. To him, it is a personal journey to fulfill a God given dream of “giving back.”

It’s a mission for which the Charlotte, North Carolina based non-profit humanitarian organization is enlisting a lot of famous—and not so famous feet—to join them on. NASCAR is a major supporter that will help launch the “World Walk” from Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, on Saturday, October 11th. In conjunction with that’s day’s Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup series and Speedway Children’s Charities, a “Barefoot Breakfast” will be held. The Nationwide Garage at Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be the host site for the morning kick-off event expected to draw major names from the world of NASCAR, as well as the NBA and the NFL. Guests will be asked to check their shoes at the door.

Charlotte is only the starting point of a course that will take Ohonme on a 300 mile, two week barefoot walk through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia--concluding its final steps at Atlanta’s Motor Speedway on October 26th. Along the way the gift of shoes to those in need will be distributed at designated stops in Greenville, South Carolina (October 16th) and Athens, Georgia on the 20th.

On October 25th, just prior to its conclusion at Atlanta’s Motor Speedway, the “World Walk,” by Samaritan’s Feet will be joined by walkers from around the globe in a world encompassing “simul-walk.” Pre-arranged shoe distribution points in South Africa, Haiti, Peru, Malawi, Nigeria and 25 other countries served by Samaritan’s Feet are organized to simultaneously have thousands of participants join the walk in their own respective countries.

THE GOALS:

At the conclusion of the 2008 “World Walk,” Manny Ohonme and his team hope to have far exceed their initial vision of raising 100,000 pairs of shoes and more than half a million dollars during their two week walk.

Additionally, the organizers are hoping the raised media awareness will encourage those interested to join the mission of Samaritan’s Feet. Donate shoes, join the October “World Walk,” or simply go online at: www.samaritansfeet.org to catch the vision of what a single pair of shoes can do to change a child’s world.