NEW ORLEANS – Members of the LSU basketball team and coaching staff joined with many basketball staff members from around the country this week to help distribute new socks and shoes to needy individuals as part of the Samaritan’s Feet program.
The Samaritan’s Feet program, supported by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the NCAA and others, attempts to raise awareness of the vast number of children around the world who are forced to go barefoot because they don’t own a pair of shoes.
In 2007, then IUPUI Coach Ron Hunter was asked by Samaritan’s Feet to take off his shoes and socks to help raise 40,000 pairs of shoes. In less than six weeks, Samaritan’s Feet had raised over 140,000 pairs of shoes and over $30,000. Today, Samaritan’s Feet has served 62 countries around the world and has placed new shoes on the feet of more than two million children.
As part of the program, LSU Coach Trent Johnson joined coaches around the country in coaching a practice barefoot to raise awareness for the program. Throughout Final Four week, the NCAA has taken the opportunity to work with the NABC and the Samaritan’s Feet program to give back to members of the local community.
LSU Basketball is on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LSUBasketball and follow the program on Twitter @LSUBasketball and @LSUCoachJohnson.