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DECEMBER 2008
The Shoe4Africa Kibera 5K Peace run with 5000+ women in Africa’s largest slum commemorates a year of peace in Kenya. The largest ever women’s only gathering inside Kibera capped off the women playing the All Stars soccer team including 3-time London Marathon Champ Martin Lel, Boston’s 4-time winner Robert Cheruiyot, Olympic Champ Matthew Birir, World Champ Douglas Wakiihuri and more… 6400 shoes and 5800 T shirts are given out on the day. Paul Tergat, Lornah Kiplagat, and Isaiah Kiplagat (head of the Athletics Federation) are in attendance. Cristiano Ronaldo donates a signed shirt.
Watch the youtube video on the event. Click here.
An article runs in the Kenyan newspaper on the HISTORY of Shoe4Africa. Click here to read the article.
NOVEMBER 2008
In an effort to empower women and give them a voice and a device of proof we distribute 45-flip cams (thanks Flip!) throughout the Kibera slums encouraging the women to use these devices to record anything and everything — especially matters when they need to back up what was ‘said/done’. [Link to TED talks on Kibera/Video 2010]
OCTOBER 2008
Anthony Edwards films his last episode of ER and donates the proceeds to Shoe4Africa. A big time Hollywood name makes a match, and also the producer of ER (John Wells) also throws in another donation – financially a great month. The book More Fire is released with the sole intent of raising awareness for Shoe4Africa. 100% of the Author Royalties go directly to Shoe4Africa’s hospital campaign.
SEPTEMBER 2008
Shoe4Africa in Rally? Shoe4Africa was last seen earlier this year when Alvaro Parente was winning the GP2 in Barcelona.
Alvaro winning in Barcelona (top), and a rally car ready to take off in Iceland. (Our logo is JUST below the Renault one)
7,000 pairs of shoes arrive in Tanzania to be distributed amongst several grass roots organizations.
Former world record holder Filbert Bayi inspects one of the Shoe4Africa boxes.
AUGUST 2008
Another Shoe4Africa Run for Peace race at the Murala Refugee Camp; one of the worst hit areas in the clashes.
Click here to watch the youtube video.
Diane Dixon, World Champion, Olympic Gold and Silver, Malaak Shabazz (Malcolm Xs youngest daughter), and Jackie Joyner-Kersee; otherwise known as the Golden Girl of USA track and Field (3x Olympic Gold) as the Shoe4Africa Angels…
S4A ambassador Sammy Wanjiru wins the Olympic gold in the marathon.
In the world juniors, Titus Mbishei, of the Shoe4Africa training camp/Kapcherop won the silver medal.
JULY 2008
Rosa Mota joins the Shoe4Africa team.
We kick off the campaign to build the largest Children’s hospital in Africa on July 25th, Reykjavik Iceland. We need millions. By the end of July we have… less than 1%!
Shoes sent to Zanzibar Athletics federation, Tanzania
JUNE 2008
David Willey writes about Shoe4Africa on the Editoral page of Runner’s World.
Cristiano Ronaldo joins the Shoe4Africa team.
MAY 2008
The Shoe4Africa Martin Lel race is a big success. The race was aired internationally as CNN came to film the event. Olympic Champion Matthew Birir holds the finishers tape with Martin Lel and Robert Cheruiyot; both of whom are headed for the Beijing Olympics. Other guests include WJR 800m holder Japheth Kimutai, The two-time world champion Moses Tanui, Commonwealth Games champion Daniel Kimaiyo… and of course many other athletes and the entire Lel family.
Watch the youtube CNN report of the race. Click here.
The Shoe4Africa Eldoret run for peace was held at Kenya’s largest IDP (refugee) camp. We marched 250 Eldoret school kids (Hill School) in to run with the kids from the camp. Ben Jipcho, former world record holder (a Kalenjin shot in the clashes) and Olympic Champion John Ngugi, from the Kikuyu tribe, were the guests of honor.
The kids of the kalenjin were given TWO T shirts; one to give to the waiting Kikuyu ‘camp’ kids, then run together in front of 20,000 living in the refugee tents…
Watch the youtube of the Kenyan clashes with our Peace Races. Click here.
Shoe4Africa “legally” kicked off the hospital project after meeting with the Minister for health, Professor Peter Anyang’o Nyong’o and getting his seal of approval.
APRIL 2008
Packing shoes for Kibera, we work at the rate of 5,000 pairs in one day(!) Super model Cameron Alborzian with his Spanish Supermodel girlfriend, come out and box shoes for Africa.
Cameron comes to help pack shoes for us!
MARCH 2008
On March 17th, whilst drinking a cup of coffee in an Eldoret cafe, Toby was given a proposal, to build the first ever public children’s hospital in East & Central Africa, and only the second in the whole of Sub Saharan Africa. He said yes.
March 15th: ‘Exceptional gathering at Shoe4Africa Peace Run in Iten [Click here to read the IAAF.org report], Kenya. 42 International stars coming together for peace with 600 school kids’.
Click here to watch the youtube video of the Peace Race.
At the funeral of Olympian Lucas Sang kids came and asked, “Do something. They are burning churches and schools, we are afraid to go back to school.’ It was a plea to an organization that prided itself on acting when needed. Thus an idea was hatched – call all the superstar athletes of Kenya from all the different tribes, get them to march together, from the present day stars back tot he 1950’s pioneers, get 600 school girls to march behind with olive branches demonstrating to the public that the athletes are united in Peace; why not you.
FEBRUARY 2008
Shoe4Africa Dubai collects 6,983 pairs of shoes at the marathon, and the RAK Half Marathon. Athletics Weekly writes article on Shoe4Africa.
Sam Dobson’s, our organizer, kids stand with Shoe4Africa Fabiano Joseph in Dubai at the collection.
JANUARY 2008
Anthony Edwards becomes the second Shoe4Africa board chairman.
Anthony Edwards, the film star!
S4A ambassador Mara Yamauchi wins the Osaka Marathon and sends boxes of shoes from Japan!
Over in Kenya the post election violence starts, we stay there to help [NY TIMES LINK]
Kenneth Cole, the fashion icon, release AWEARNESS, a book highlighting the good work of philanthropists and on page 158…
DECEMBER 2007
Shoe4Africa in the United Arab Emirates. The wonderful Samantha Dobson holds a shoe drive at the Dubai Half Marathon. The RAK Half Marathon, and the Dubai Marathon are planned for 2008.
The Event Poster.
Former Miss World, Linda Petursdottir, joins the Shoe4Africa team. Shoe4Africa is featured on the Montel Williams show. Montel expresses a willingness to follow the cause. Mara Yamauchi joins Shoe4Africa.
NOVEMBER 2007
Nine time NYC marathon winner Grete Waitz joins the Shoe4Africa team as an ambassador. On November 5th the group launched its Kibera Project. Standing on the street for seven hours Shoe4Africa collected over 12,500 pairs of running shoes for the Kibera project.
Natalie Portman kindly announces our send your own idea after the shoe program grows too big for personal finance.
Actress Cara Buono (Thum), Anthony Edwards, and Delilah on Central Park West during the shoe collection, sporting our new ‘Foot’ logo.
OCTOBER 2007 Shoe4Africa/Riadha win the Boston Mayor’s Cup. Hey there Delilah, the #1 song by Plain White T’s, was inspired by team member Delilah DiCrescenzo.
Hey there Delilah, thanks for running for us!
SEPTEMBER 2007
Susie Mendive, of SUM design, is commissioned to come up with a logo. Asked for base ideas we say anything but an African foot. She comes back with an African Foot, saying it looked ‘Too good’. Everyone around the coffee table agreed. The art work for Shoe4Africa became the foot along with the grafitti art lettering from Erin Boyle.
Shoe4Africa got a song(!) performed by an Icelandic singer Hossi and co-written by us.
CLICK HERE [SONG] to hear the said song.
AUGUST 2007
Cornelius Ndiwa from the Shoe4Africa Moses Kiptanui Training Camp wins the African Junior 1500m Champs 3:46.47. Beatrice Kiprop from the camp, gets the Silver in the same event.
Snoop Dog’s wife sends us a big box of shoes from their home. We give Snoop’s sneakers (pimped out, not like the ones at the shelf of a Mall) to the youth in Kibera who really appreciate them.
JULY 2007
Willy Komen, a product of the Shoe4Africa/MK training camp, wins Steeplechase Gold at the All Africa Championships. Shoe4Africa launches The Kibera Project.
JUNE 2007
Shoe4Africa releases the first HIV/AIDS awareness info leaflet translated into the Kalenjin Language (10% of Kenya, Rift Valley). A Kalenjin man immediately writes in and says, If only my parents had had this information; today they have AIDS and don’t even know what the disease is, there was nothing ever to help them. [Link to the Kalenjin text]
MAY 2007
Natalie Portman models our first T shirt. The graffiti text for Shoe4Africa credit goes to the talented Erin Boyle who has helped us many times.
Natalie photographed by world famous Inez & Vinhoodh
APRIL 2007
Another great race in Tanzania. [Click to view the pictures]
MARCH 2007
Top Gun Actor Anthony Edwards joins the Shoe4Africa Board of Directors
FEBRUARY 2007
The Ivy League helps Shoe4Africa at the heps.
JANUARY 2007 The Shoe4Africa & Moses Kiptanui Training Camp opens and The Shoe4Africa United Football team is formed.
Three time world champion and the first Sub 8-minute steepler in history And Shoe4Africa Ambassador Moses Kiptanui with the students
DECEMBER 2006
Farida is named Tanzanian female athlete of the year. The second Shoe4Africa race in Iten, and the third in Kenya for the year, has 2,900 participants, flagged off by Anthony Edwards who is flying round the world with his family for three hundred days. [Click here to view pictures]
In the same month we hold another event in Tanzania. [Click here to view the pictures]
NOVEMBER 2006
Leppin, an Icelandic company, agrees to sponsor Shoe4Africa in 2007 for a two year deal. in the end it lasts a year and a half as Iceland hits the rocks.
OCTOBER 2006
Chanel Model of the year Samantha Tannehill models the new Shoe4Africa singlet. The clicks for the picture go through the roof, even ending up on the Russian Athletics Federation web site! Another Supermodel, the charming and stunning Kim Alexis, joins the Board.
JUNE 2006
Signature race series moves to Tanzania. With over 1550 runners the event is the largest women’s only event in Tanzania.
[click here to view the pictures]
Shoe4Africa has a race in Morocco.
[click here to view the pictures]
Shoe4Africa sponsors two school girls for a four year athletic scholarship. Two weeks later Farida Makula wins the national 1500 & 5000m title. Asia Swahele is second in the 15km.
Farida and Asia
Joy Dushey, the Vice President of S4A, holds a party in her apartment to celebrate the NGO status, with Narcisco Rodriguez as the guest of honor. Over 400-people turn up, 90% bringing at least a pair of shoes!
Fashion designer Narcisco (right, who 2-years later designed the dress Michelle Obama would wear on Inauguration night) made the perfect guest of honor – he told me that he’d recently raised a lot of funds for AIDS research on a charity walk, and had been a guest at another event a couple of nights ago championing the same cause – a hero indeed; thanks Narcisco!
MAY 2006
Shoe4Africa goes to Western Kenya and holds a race in Nyamira. Emily Chebet wins & five years later she wins the World Cross Country Championships. A grandma wins the accompanying health walk, her granddaughter watches, is inspired and starts running; a year later she is at the national championships running as an accomplished athlete!
[Click here to view the pictures from the Nyamira race]
Emily Chebet winning the Nyamira race.. 5-years before becoming a World Champion, and star!
The IAAF report on the race is here – LINK
JANUARY 2006
The first signature Shoe4Africa race is held in Kenya, it is the largest women’s only event in the country. The event, at Pieter &Lornah Kiplagat’s camp, is held on a Friday, yet it is a huge success.
[click here to watch the 10km race won by Doris Changeiywo]
[click here to watch the 2km healthwalk]
[click here to watch the healthfacts race day video]
One of my favorite pictures; this was the leader of the health ‘walk’ – she literally flew the 2km uphill walk in under seven minutes!
The organization gets Not for Profit status in New York City. The Board of Directors is formed. Nina Greisman (secretary), Joy Dushey (treasurer/vice president), and Toby (Chairman)
NOVEMBER 2005
Pieter Langerhorst and Lornah Kiplagat get involved. Sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop in Manhattan on 57th ST (as they are prone to be doing). Pieter Langerhorstand Toby Tanser decide to take the next step, and hold a race at their camp in Iten.
Pieter “Starbucks” Langerhorst
OCTOBER 2005
Fabiano Joseph, “a direct product” of Shoe4Africa wins the World Championships in Canada! Christopher Isgwe wins a World Championships Marathon silver, where did he get his first training shoes?
Fabiano Joseph wins the World Half Marathon Championships.
JUNE 2005
Perhaps it is ‘in the name’ but Shoe4Africa has always helped wherever it can – Russia, Sri Lanka, America – all over the place. Here a shipment of over 1000 pairs of New balance running shoes goes to the Achilles Organization. Achilles founder Dick Traum finds his office a bit overcrowded to say the least!
The following year we gave 1,000 New Pairs of shoes, donated from Adidas, to New York Kids ‘if’ they partook in a fun run! And we have continued to give in NYC. In 2008 the Mayor of New York proclaimed a day in June ‘Kids Against Obesity day’ for a program we started to get kids active.
Older news can be found here – link
