Blake Mycoskie

Blake giving poor children shoes (http://www.toms.com/blakes-bio ())

People all around the world live in poverty. Some countries and cities have people who don't have homes, clothes, fresh water, food, or even shoes. Places like Ethiopia, Haiti, and Argentina are poor and need other people's help to make their home a better place. Little children in Argentina walk the streets everyday with no shoes. The roads have broken glass, dirt, rocks, and other various dangers on them. When Blake Mycoskie went to Argentina and saw these poor little children walking on these roads, he realized how lucky we are to have the money to afford shoes. We may look at shoes as an accessory, but these kids look at shoes as protection and comfort. As Blake watched these children and spent time with them he came up with a way to give every child, with no shoes, hope and protection on their feet. I think to be able to change the world as Blake Mycoskie has been you need three special qualities - creativity, compassion, and sincerity.

http://www.toms.com/one-for-one ()

You may think that creativity doesn't make a hero, but Blake's creativity is helping change the world today. His idea of TOMS, involves the whole globe. He found a way to get people involved in making a difference in our world. He came up with the idea one for one. This means that every TOMS shoe a person buys also buys another TOMS shoe for a child or teenager in a poor country, city, town, or village. This creative idea brings shoes to children all over the world and makes a difference in our world.

Children who have received TOMS (http://www.toms.com/our-movement-shoe-drops ())

Having compassion towards others is a quality that I think a hero should have. When Blake first went to Spain he saw that the kids were hurting and suffering as they walked around their villages. He didn't want to see poor children have to suffer every day. Mycoskie wouldn't have come up with the idea of TOMS if he didn't feel compassion for the kids he met. Blake spreads this compassion around the globe daily. Mycoskie's organization makes everyone who buys a pair of TOMS stop and think about how those children might feel when they walk around on dirty, dangerous roads. Having compassion for others is a great quality to have.

http://www.theselby.com/11_10_08_Blake_TOMS/thumbnails/11_10_08_Blake_TOMS8128.jpg ()

Overall a hero should do generous deeds towards others, not for the fame or fortune, but just to help someone in need. Blake demonstrates his sincerity in his work daily. He chooses to live his life not luxuriously but on a sail boat. Mycoskie shows that he could be using his money from TOMS to live in a really nice house but he gives every cent from the shoe profit to give shoes to the children. He could also make a ginormous profit on the shoes he sells, but he shows that the reason he started TOMS is to help the children and not himself. A hero should do his work out of sincerity from his heart, like Blake.

Blake with few of the many children he helps (http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A2KJkIWyggtPVgsArYSJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dbla ())

A hero to me is not someone with super powers that saves the world but someone who changes the world one step at a time. A change in the world can start out with creativity, compassion towards others, and sincerity. Having these qualities shows me, as Blake does, can help you make a difference in you school, community, or even the world.  He made a difference in my life by showing me, and the rest of the world, that helping people who need or assistance is very important. Blake has also helped me get involved in supporting these children because I have bought a pair of TOMS to help poor kids too. Blake Mycoskie exemplifies to me that it only takes a small idea to make an immeasurable difference.