Chinmaya Mission Sydney Presents: No Shoes 2020

‘You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.’

But what if that other person doesn’t have any shoes? In other words, there are many basic necessities that we take for granted without realising that there are many in the world who don’t share these basic privileges. Footwear is a very visible example of a basic privilege.

Symbolically, Chinmaya Mission Sydney created a yearly unique campaign called “No Shoes”, which asks participants to experience a few hours (or a day) of the life of those who don’t have basic necessities such as footwear. This campaign gives us all a chance to reflect on how fortunate we are and contribute to Australian and international not for profit organisations that help disadvantaged communities.

The No Shoes campaign was inaugurated by Chinmaya Mission Sydney in 2019, where over 250 people came together and raised $50,000 for Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD) to support the disadvantaged in India & Sri Lanka. This year we aim to raise money for MS Australia, to support funding for research, raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and work with families and individuals who need assistance.

There is currently no known cure for MS. It is an autoimmune condition affecting the central nervous system, interfering with nerve impulses within the brain, spinal cord and the optic nerves in our eyes. It causes problems with vision, balance, muscle control and other simple body functions. On average more than 10 Australians are diagnosed with MS every week, and it affects more than 2 million people worldwide.  It can affect anyone and is not linked to genetics.

The No Shoes campaign will culminate with a unique event themed on leaving our footwear behind. The centrepiece of the event will be a barefoot charity walk which is an unique experience. This will be augmented by a variety of activities catering to all age groups and fitness levels, so everyone can participate.

The event will include:

• Barefoot charity walk
• Themed physical challenges of varying difficulty
• Supervised children’s program
• A variety of delicious snacks and refreshing drinks will be available for purchase.

The event will take place at the Castle Hill Showground, on Sunday the 8th of March, from 4-6.30pm. We invite all of you to join us for an afternoon of fun, inspiration, and good company, and to help us raise funds and awareness for a worthwhile cause. Registration and entry is FREE, so please visit the following site:https://www.doitforms.org.au/event/noshoes2020

If you are unable to attend the event, please still support this endeavour by donating now at https://www.doitforms.org.au/participant/7516.

Event Details: A barefoot walk, raising funds for MS Australia to assist those affected by MS.

Event Date/Time: 8th March 2020, 4PM – 6.30PM

Event Location: Castle Hill Showground

Registration: https://www.doitforms.org.au/event/noshoes2020

Donations: https://www.doitforms.org.au/participant/7516 (Donations above $2 are tax deductible)

For more information visit: www.chinmaya.com.au