TOMS KU club to promote awareness

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Cherie Gossett, Olathe junior, first heard about the TOMS movement while watching a segment on a morning TV show last April. She said she was instantly intrigued by the report. “I thought ‘Wow, what an inspirational way of making an impact,’” Gossett said.

When she visited the Web site for the organization, which is dedicated to giving shoes to impoverished people around the world, she noticed they were looking for campus representatives and decided the University needed an organization to support the cause.

“I applied over the summer and got the job as a representative,” Gossett said. “Then I had to go through registration for it to become an actual campus group.”

This is the first semester for the TOMS Shoes University of Kansas group. For every pair of shoes purchased from the company, it gives away a pair of shoes to a child in need as part of its “One for One” program. According to tomsshoes.com, the organization has successfully given away over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in developing countries like Argentina, South Africa and Ethiopia.

Gossett said the movement is important because, for some, walking is the main mode of transportation.

“You don’t really think about it but in some countries people have to walk to get everywhere, and sometimes they are walking barefoot through dangerous things like contaminated soil,” Gossett said.

The 16 members of the KU organization will plan events to raise awareness about the cause.

“We will work to throw two major events on campus each semester,” Gossett said.

Since TOMS was launched in 2006, it has become a cultural trend. The bands Hanson and Hellogoodbye are supporting the cause with their “Use your Sole” tour and will play at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City Oct. 2. In addition to the concert, Hanson will lead participants in a one-mile walk with the “Take the Walk” campaign, an organization that is partners with TOMS.

Gossett said she hopes to begin planning the events soon to get the word out around campus.

“Our main goal is to help children in need in the world and get KU students to support TOMS” Gossett said.

TOMS shoes are available on its website and in Shark’s Surf Shop, 813 Massachusetts St. For information on joining the organization or receiving a $5 off KU student code, contact representatives at tomskulawrence@gmail.com

— -Edited by Jonathan Hermes

Hanson to play free concert

Band comes to campus to support cause.

/news/2009/oct/01/hanson-play-free-concert/

TOMS wants you to buy sunglasses for ...

Students wear the shoes, but will they buy the sunglasses?

/news/2011/jun/24/toms-no-longer-just-shoemaker/

TOMS Shoes founder to speak at Lied

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, will speak about social entrepreneurship at ...

/news/2010/jan/26/toms-shoes-lied-tonight/

Crocs Craze Comes to KU

/news/2005/mar/10/jayplay_feature_crocs/

Get Involved: TOMS Campus Club

KU's new branch of the TOMS Campus Club just opened this semester.

/news/2012/feb/08/get-involved/

KU Alumnus gives vision to the needy

OJOS: Eyes Toward Progress collects persctiption eyewear and gives them to the ...

/news/2010/oct/20/ku-alumnus-gives-vision-needy/

AFTERdark brings good music and good times ...

AFTERdark is bringing musical acts to campus. The free event is Wednesday ...

/news/2008/apr/02/afterdark/

Group sponsors dialogue about abortion

‘The Morality of Abortion’ debate will take place tonight at the Kansas ...

/news/2009/apr/30/dialogue_about_abortion/

Blakeborough: TOMS Shoes inspires many

This company is more than a fad; its a movement.

/news/2011/jul/05/blakeborough-toms-shoes-inspires-many/

Reduce, reuse, relocate

Potter Lake Unplugged entertains and educates in the Kansas Union instead of ...

/news/2009/apr/20/reduce_reuse/

'Once in a lifetime' opportunity

Making the journey for Barack Obama’s inauguration

/news/2009/jan/20/once_lifetime/

Free ad space for all organizations considered

Groups such as fraternities, sororities and performing arts currently cannot advertise for ...

/news/2008/feb/13/free_ad_space_all_organizations_considered/

Political event lures students with pepperoni

New York Post correspondent will share his experiences over pizza today.

/news/2008/mar/06/pizza/

Senators question student body president’s vetoes

The vetoed legislation concerns Gmail technology, a sustainability fee and the Multiculural ...

/news/2008/mar/31/senators_question_student_body_presidents_vetoes/

Student Senate notebook

Here's what happened at the Student Senate meeting Wednesday.

/news/2008/mar/13/student_senate_notebook/

Trends With Benefits

Looking Good and Feeling Good

/news/2011/oct/06/trends-benefits/

Green is in

College students make and sell environment friendly shirts.

/news/2008/jun/20/green/

'Sextival' promotes sex ed and awareness

This year's annual event focuses on providing information about recent abortion rights ...

/news/2011/aug/30/sextival-2011/

KU Young Democrats to attend Obama visit

Campus Democrat’s new president hopes to gain members and become active in ...

/news/2011/dec/04/ku-young-democrats-attend-obama-visit/

Gulu Walk raises awareness for African children

More than 50 University of Kansas students and Lawrence residents participated in ...

/news/2007/oct/22/Gulu/

SELF group selling pancakes for charity

The engineering leadership group is holding its annual “Flapjacks for Philanthropy” Saturday.

/news/2010/apr/09/self-group-selling-pancakes-charity/

Protestor still stands for beliefs

After being expelled from the University of Kansas, Caroljean Brune now works ...

/news/2007/apr/16/funky/

An undocumented DREAM

If passed, the DREAM Act would give temporary legal residence to undocumented ...

/news/2010/may/04/undocumented-dream/

A look at KU's changing face of ...

University's turbulent past has evolved into a somewhat tranquil state of activism.

/news/2009/dec/04/activism/

Turning out for TOMS

Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, gave a lecture at the Lied ...

/news/2010/jan/27/turning-out-toms/

Wedding bells: Going against the grain

Zahra Nasrazadani proposed to her boyfriend during a video chat.

/news/2010/may/05/wedding-bells-going-against-grain/

Events support breast cancer awareness

Two softball players whose mothers battled the disease will participate in Saturday’s ...

/news/2009/apr/10/breast_cancer/

Know your Student Senate candidates

Learn more about the candidates for Student Senate

/news/2009/apr/14/know_your/

Reformed chapter focuses on racial injustice

Several events inspired Christopher Reine to restart the University of Kansas chapter ...

/news/2007/nov/01/NAACP/

Food drive produces more Kansas-Missouri competition

The Kansas and Missouri alumni associations put together a food drive for ...

/news/2007/nov/26/food_drive_produces_more_kansasmissouri_competitio/

Saturday's game is about more than volleyball

The Jayhawks for a Cure match will raise money for cancer research.

/news/2010/oct/07/saturdays-volleyball/

Students support climate action

Lawrence participates in a national movement to educate citizens and encourage change ...

/news/2007/apr/16/climate/

Watkins holds free clinic for runners

The first two stages of the clinic are free and will analyze ...

/news/2007/apr/18/runner/

Humanitarian concert helps earthquake victims

LawrenceRocks4Haiti unites community in Haiti relief fundraiser.

/news/2010/feb/26/humanitarian-concert-helps-earthquake-victims/

From sole to sole

The effects shoes have on your body and health

/news/2011/oct/13/sole-sole/

Occupy movement gains local support

Occupy Lawrence demonstrators set up a permanent camp downtown for rally organization.

/news/2011/oct/16/occupy-movement-gains-local-support/

Zombies take West Campus by storm

KU students participate in Humans vs. Zombies, a nationwide role-playing game.

/news/2010/apr/05/zombies-take-west-campus-storm/

Local fundraiser with a sweet cause

15 to 20 percent of the proceeds from local cupcake establishment went ...

/news/2011/nov/30/local-fundraiser-sweet-cause/

Israeli denounces terrorists

/news/2005/apr/13/news_campus_dole/

A step up from ‘the shack’

Student Senate will vote tonight on a $75,000 contribution that would relocate ...