CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Samaritan's Feet and Emil Ekiyor Jr., University of Alabama offensive lineman, have partnered to serve children in Alabama's most vulnerable populations. In year one of the partnership, Samaritan's Feet will provide 25,000 students (aged four to 14 years old) with a new pair of shoes before they return to school in the fall of 2022. Ekiyor also plans to enlist many fellow student athletes from across the country to serve as spokespeople in their local communities.
Ekiyor Jr.'s African descent (Nigerian, just like the Co-Founder of Samaritan's Feet) and heart for Alabama and the world made the partnership a perfect match.
"I am humbled and honored to be the very first collegiate spokesperson for Samaritan's Feet. It's a wonderful organization making an impact across the globe," said Ekiyor Jr. "We plan to recruit other student athletes to get involved in their local markets. In addition, we are inviting both national and local corporations to support our efforts."
According to the Census 2019 American Community Survey, Alabama's childhood poverty rate is 21.4%, or 248,412 children, ranked 6th in the country as a percentage of total population. Through this partnership, approximately 10% of those children will be served, helping to alleviate the burden of poverty on them and their families.
Students will receive shoes through "Shoe Lockers." Kept on-site at a school, a Shoe Locker is a supply of athletic shoes which are immediately available when a student has improperly fitting or worn shoes. In this partnership, Shoe Lockers will include a full assortment of 200 pairs of shoes at Title 1 schools throughout Alabama. School teachers and administrations can then provide shoes to students as the needs arise. This will allow the children to get right back into the classroom and playground in a comfortable and confident way.
"We are honored to work with Emil Ekiyor Jr. from the University of Alabama to enrich the lives of thousands of students throughout the state. He is an exceptional person on and off the field and we are thrilled that he has chosen to partner with us to bring joy to children through the gift of shoes," said Manny Ohonme, President and CEO, Samaritan's Feet. "This is the first relationship within the scope of the new NCAA NIL rules and we hope this is the first of many college athletes to use their platforms for good."
If you represent a Title 1 school in Alabama and are interested in having a Shoe Locker installed, please email info@samaritansfeet.org for more information. To participate in Ekiyor Jr.'s campaign, visit https://www.samaritansfeet.org/alabama.
For more information, please contact Deni Avant at davant@samaritansfeet.org.
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