Non-profit shoe company TOMS will stop on campus today to encourage students to buy new shoes and help children in need.

TOMS, which donates a pair of shoes to a child for every pair purchased, will send 14 representatives to UCSB today as part of the Spring TOMS Vagabond Tour. Today’s event will include a documentary screening of “For Tomorrow: The TOMS Shoes Story,” which catalogues the young company’s journey and contributions. In addition, a “style your sole” event will encourage individuals to buy and design their own pair of TOMS.

“The Amazing Race” contestant Blake Mycoskie founded the now three-year-old company after visiting Argentina in 2006. He discovered that children there lacked proper shoes to protect them from foot injuries, contaminated soil and soil dwelling parasites, and in response started a company with a mission to provide a pair of shoes for each pair sold.

According to Mycoskie, the Spring Vagabond Tour aims to familiarize students with the philanthropic mission of TOMS and encourage further involvement with the company.

“We’re excited about the TOMS Vagabond Tour,” Mycoskie said in a press release. “This gives us a great opportunity to build a stronger connection with TOMS supporters and introduce TOMS to those who are unfamiliar with us and our One for One movement.”

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