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Blake Mycoskie

by Alecia from Hawaii

”I always thought I would spend the first half of my life making money and the second half giving it away. I never thought I could do both at the same time.” -- Blake Mycoskie
This is a picture of my hero,<br> Blake Mycoskie
This is a picture of my hero,
Blake Mycoskie

My hero is Blake Mycoskie. He is hopeful, faithful, and thoughtful. Blake Mycoskie is also caring, loving, and helpful. Even though he hasn’t won medals or certificates, what he has done is just as important. Blake Mycoskie decided to go to Argentina after founding and running four businesses and losing by a hair on The Amazing Race. He went there last January and learned to dance the tango, sail, and play competitive polo.

He also visited villages where few, if any, children had shoes. And then he got an idea. He said, "I'm going to start a shoe company, and for every pair I sell, I'm going to give one pair to a kid in need." The name of the company he founded is called TOMS: Shoes for Tomorrow. By the fall, he had sold ten thousand pairs, averaging $38.00 for each pair, online and in forty stores.

This is one of the many shoes Mycoskie sells.</a>
This is one of the many shoes Mycoskie sells.

He said, ”I always thought I would spend the first half of my life making money and the second half giving it away. I never thought I could do both at the same time.”

He is planning a second shoe drop later this year, with more to follow in Africa and Asia. I really appreciate that he is so kind and generous, and I hope his business is a huge success. I am glad kids who need shoes get to have them, and I feel great for Blake Mycoskie who has accomplished something major.

Page created on 6/13/2007 12:54:13 PM

Last edited 6/13/2007 12:54:13 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

TOMS Shoes - The website for TOMS Shoes

Bibliography

Mustafa, Nadia. "A Shoe That Fits So Many Souls." [Online] Available http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1582305,00.html.