My First TOMS Shoe Drop

Written by on December 10, 2010 in South America - 8 Comments

In two hours I depart the frozen winter tundra of Minnesota for a trip of a lifetime — a TOMS Shoe Drop. This will be my first volunteer trip, but indubitably not my last. Tomorrow morning I’ll join a group of about ten shoe droppers in the southern hemisphere’s ninth largest city — Buenos Aires, Argentina. From there we’ll travel the countryside and orchestra three, day-long shoe drops.

Why shoes you ask? TOMS was founded on a one-for-one principle — every pair of shoes that is bought, another pair is donated. Shoes have been shown to be a fundamental resource for protecting children from rough terrain, infection and soil-based diseases. Many schools in developing countries also require shoes for children to attend. Over 1,000,000 shoes have been donated across 23 countries since TOMS started in 2006.

Stay tuned for when I return, changed and with a new story (plus lots of pictures).

Tristan

Tristan is a SocialEarth cofounder, freelance writer, community builder and solution journalist who covers creativity, social innovation and technology. He has worked with Ashoka and Best Buy promoting social entrepreneurship and responsibility.

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  • Mckra1g

    Yay! (don’t tell my daughters, but they’ve got some TOMS under the tree for Christmas this year). Not only do they get shoes the LOVE, but they also get to tell people about your story and how other kids get a pair of shoes, too.

    We also bought a pack of stickers this last time through the online shopping experience – that way, we can put them on our laptops, pass them out to friends at school and spread the word about the good work you are doing. Safe travels! :)

  • http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g

    Yay! (don’t tell my daughters, but they’ve got some TOMS under the tree for Christmas this year). Not only do they get shoes the LOVE, but they also get to tell people about your story and how other kids get a pair of shoes, too.

    We also bought a pack of stickers this last time through the online shopping experience – that way, we can put them on our laptops, pass them out to friends at school and spread the word about the good work you are doing. Safe travels! :)

  • http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g

    Yay! (don’t tell my daughters, but they’ve got some TOMS under the tree for Christmas this year). Not only do they get shoes the LOVE, but they also get to tell people about your story and how other kids get a pair of shoes, too.

    We also bought a pack of stickers this last time through the online shopping experience – that way, we can put them on our laptops, pass them out to friends at school and spread the word about the good work you are doing. Safe travels! :)

  • mckra1g

    Yay! (don’t tell my daughters, but they’ve got some TOMS under the tree for Christmas this year). Not only do they get shoes the LOVE, but they also get to tell people about your story and how other kids get a pair of shoes, too.

    We also bought a pack of stickers this last time through the online shopping experience – that way, we can put them on our laptops, pass them out to friends at school and spread the word about the good work you are doing. Safe travels! :)

  • http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g

    Yay! (don’t tell my daughters, but they’ve got some TOMS under the tree for Christmas this year). Not only do they get shoes the LOVE, but they also get to tell people about your story and how other kids get a pair of shoes, too.

    We also bought a pack of stickers this last time through the online shopping experience – that way, we can put them on our laptops, pass them out to friends at school and spread the word about the good work you are doing. Safe travels! :)

  • Ashley

    Tristan! So jealous! That’s so awesome! I can’t wait to read more!

  • http://twitter.com/erikeliason Erik Eliason

    Awesome- looking forward to more stories from the field!

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