What’s This About Ed Begley Jr. Going Barefoot?

When Ed Begley Jr. greets you at his house, chances are he’s not wearing any shoes. After all, unless they’re made without leather, without oil-based products and without animal products, chances are they’re not very environmentally friendly.

His wife, Rachelle Carson, of course does love shoes, but mostly when dressing up to go out.

Begley has leant his name to two causes in April that involve no shoes, and they’re very different, although both deal with humanitarian issues throughout the world. 

The Sunday event at Lake Balboa is to help Sudan Relief.

CLICK HERE for the story about A Walk in No Shoes.

But then, there’s TOMS’s  charity “One Day Without Shoes” which he is also involved with, and occurring a week later.

See:  http://patch.com/A-3w8G

See the videos above in the Gallery. http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com

Here are more details about this shoeless event:

What's the date this year?

One Day Without Shoes is on April 16, 2013.

How do I get involved?

Simple: Go without shoes on April 16! Better yet, get a group of friends/classmates/co-workers to go without shoes – you’ll be joining thousands around the world in a global movement.

What's the best way to get the word out?

Our DIY toolkit has lots of creative ways that you can help spread the word. From stencils for t-shirts to stickers, there are lots great ways to raise awareness for a good cause.

Are there places that it is culturally common to not wear shoes?

Yes, there are some places in the world where going barefoot is widely accepted. But when children are affected by disease and illness, or unable to attend school due to inadequate footwear, it is not about a cultural preference, but about the need for protection. One Day Without Shoes is about raising awareness for children's global health and education issues.

 How can I get involved beyond One Day Without Shoes?

There are many barriers to children’s health and education. We encourage you to find a solution you are passionate about supporting, such as education, clean water, agriculture, microfinance, health or child labor. There are lots of organizations working to improve children’s health and education worldwide that need support. Need a place to start? Check out TOMS Giving Partners. We are working on getting a list online. Until then, please check out the TOMS blog at http://blog.toms.com to see some of them.

Who gives TOMS Shoes to children in need?

TOMS Shoes are given through a network of humanitarian organizations – our Giving Partners – that serve impoverished communities worldwide. Each organization provides TOMS Shoes to children in need along with their pre-existing health, education and community development programs. As of January 2013, TOMS works with over 75 Shoe Giving Partners in over 50 countries worldwide!

Where do I send a TOMS donation?

We are honored that you would like to donate money to help children in need! Because TOMS is a for-profit business (with a social mission) we are not able to accept donations. We encourage you to send the donation to an organization working to improve children’s health and education.

If you are interested in supporting TOMS Giving Partners’ larger health and education programs, please go to our blog a blog.toms.com/tagged/giving to see some of the organizations we work with. Please keep in mind funds will not be used to give shoes. TOMS covers the cost of giving new shoes to children in need

Why would a shoe company sponsor an event to not wear shoes?

This is our day to bring awareness to global children's health and education issues. Providing shoes supports the health and education of children in need all over the world!

Wait! How exactly do shoes support children’s health, education and self-esteem?

Go to http://OneDayWithoutShoes.com and check out the ‘Learn More’ page.

I am a student or teacher. How do I get involved with One Day Without Shoes on campus?

Visit our TOMS Campus Programs One Day Without Shoes landing page (link to www.tomscampusprograms.com/onedaywithoutshoes) for ideas and information on how to participate on campus.