NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (ANS) -- On Saturday, October 11th, Manny Ohonme will begin walking barefoot on a two week course from Charlotte, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia, to bring awareness to the more than 300 million children around the world who have never owned a pair of shoes.

As the founder of international humanitarian organization, Samaritan’s Feet, Ohonme walked barefoot as a poor child in Nigeria -- growing up with a dream of providing shoes for children.

Samaritan's Feet World Walk logo.

With close to a million shoes already distributed through his organization in more than 32 nations, his goal of 10 million ‘soles’ worldwide on this month’s “World Walk” is steps closer -- thanks to the sports world.

On Friday, October 10th popular NASCAR driver Kelly Bires, of the JTG Daugherty Racing Team will be making tracks for Samaritan’s Feet around the course of Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway -- driving the newly unveiled Samaritan’s Feet logo car in the Dollar General 300 Race, part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“Everyone at JTG/Daugherty Racing is excited to assist with this Samaritan’s Feet publicity and fund raising effort,” said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing Team.

“Manny’s story and mission is compelling and we want as many people as possible to know about it. There is no better platform to reach millions of people with a message than NASCAR.”

Bires’ NASCAR drive of the Samaritan’s Feet car at Lowe’s is

Samaritan's Feet World Walk 'Logo Car Number 47'

yet another high profile way the sports world has put ‘feet’ on their support of providing shoes for needy children.

In January of this year IUPUI coach, Ron Hunter, coached barefoot on the basketball court in a game that pitted his team against Oakland, making national news with the more than $40,000 and over 150,000 pairs of shoes his involvement with the Samaritan’s Feet cause brought. “My feet hurt so bad,” Coach Hunter commented to national media after the game. “Imagine a child going their whole life without shoes.”

Organizers of the October 10th NASCAR race in Charlotte, including Speedway Children’s Charities, are hoping to once again raise national awareness, one day prior to Manny Ohonme’s 300 mile barefoot walk.

Driver Kelly Bires notes: “Our call to action on the drive in the Dollar General 300 is to encourage NASCAR fans and viewers, as well as the general public to log in online at Samaritan’s Feet and make a donation --commit to walk with Manny, and support this great cause.” The car will roll with Ohonme and his supporters as part of the October 11th—25th “World Walk” course from Charlotte to Atlanta.

Making a difference in a child's life is the focus of Speedway Children's Charities and they strive to do this in collaboration with the non-profit organizations they support nationwide. Individually, SCC's local chapters identify the needs of children in their communities and award grants to organizations that address them. Together in 2007, we awarded more than $3.3 million to over 510 organizations. Log-on to: www.speedwaycharities.org  for more details.

A joint press conference for interested media by Speedway Children’s Charities/Samaritan’s Feet will be held on Thursday, October 9th at 12:45pm at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Media Center Deadline Room/Victory Lane.

Samaritan’s Feet founder, Manny Ohonme, SCC National Director of New Business & Driver Marketing, Saundy Hutto, and JTG Racing Driver, Kelly Bires will be among those on hand to unveil the logo car. For attendance, contact: Todd Melloh, Director of Marketing, Samaritan’s Feet: (317) 417-3525.

Resource Samaritan’s Feet online for more details on how to participate and make a contribution at: www.samaritansfeet.org  

Resource Speedway Children’s Charities online at: www.speedwaycharities.org

Media Contacts -- Samaritan’s Feet:
Kirt Webster
Webster & Associates PR
(615) 777-6995
kirt@websterpr.com

Jackie Monaghan
Morningstar PR
(615) 646-5990
morningstarpr@comcast.net  

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International.