IUPUI Coach Ron Hunter will be coaching without shoes or socks for a game against Oakland (Michigan) on January 24th. Hunter does this in an attempt to raise awareness about people around the world without shoes. Hunter wants to collect 40,000 pairs of shoes to bring to Africa to give to those who are not fortunate enough to have shoes. The number is to honor the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr.
Hunter is working with an organization called Samaritan's feet. The organization was founded by Emmanuel Ohonme. He grew up poor in Nigeria and did not have a pair of shoes until he was nine years old. Ohonme will be walking barefoot from Charlotte to Atlanta in October to continue to raise awareness for the cause.
Hunter plans on visiting Africa in July. College basketball fans know that July is a huge recruiting month, but Hunter wants to show that basketball is not the most important thing in life. "It's important, not only for coaches or players," Hunter said, "but I think that you have to give something back. And it's important for me to be able to not only win basketball games, but I coach young men, and I want them to see that there are more important things than money and more important things than winning basketball games."
When I heard this story, I immediately thought of my closet with shoes that are just gathering dust. If you want to get involved visit www.samaritansfeet.org. For $29.99, you can either get a pair of shoes and donate a pair of shoes or donate two pairs of shoes.




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