Published: August 15, 2008 10:48 pm         

Kickoff for shoe drive for Darfur children is Saturday

The kickoff for a national shoe drive for impoverished children in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan is noon Saturday at CANDLES Holocaust Museum.

Eva Kor is teaming with Manny Ohonme to help collect 1 million pairs of shoes.

In 1984, Nazi death camp survivor Kor founded CANDLES, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of the Mengele Twins. In that same year, a 9-year-old boy in Nigeria was given a pair of shoes by an American tourist. It was the first pair of shoes he had ever owned in his life. The gift eventually would provide the way for Ohonme to come to America on a basketball scholarship.

Kor said of her experience in Auschwitz, “Many of you couldn’t help me —you did not know me, perhaps you were not born yet, and Auschwitz did not permit any helping of victims. I tied my shoes with rags so I could walk. Today, you know about the tragedy of many kids in Darfur and other places where children need shoes. Please help me now, in the memories of those we lost in the Holocaust, and to honor the families and friends we have created. Give a pair of shoes, remember or honor a loved one, and change a life.”

Ohonme is the founder and CEO of Samaritan’s Feet, a charity dedicated to collecting 10 million pairs of shoes in 10 years for impoverished children. The organization’s slogan is “Give a shoe. Change a life,” just as Ohonme’s life was changed by the gift of a pair of shoes.

Samaritan’s Feet and CANDLES advise people to donate new athletic shoes only, and people need not spend lots of money for designer shoes. For those who do not have the time to buy shoes, donations for shoes can be made through the Samaritan’s Feet Web site, www.samaritansfeet.org. The organizations are trying to enlist the help of shoe companies, business, schools, individuals, synagogues, churches, or stores who would sponsor the drive and/or donate shoes. The shoes will be collected at drop-off points throughout the country and distributed in Darfur periodically during the campaign.

All of Kor’s family except for her twin sister were killed during the Holocaust. Kor already has bought seven pairs of shoes and inscribed them with the names of her parents, sisters, and children. The memorial shoes will be worn by children in Darfur, many of whom have faced the deaths of family members as the government of Sudan wages genocide against them.

For more information, visit www.samaritansfeet.org or www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org.