HFH Singapore Attracts Big Turnout For Third Annual Barefoot Charity Walk

June 28th, 2011

More Than 4,000 People Registered For “Bare Your Sole” Event Which Raises Over S100,000

This year’s “Bare Your Sole” took place at a scenic local park with the Singapore Flyer in the background.

SINGAPORE, 28th June 2011: Amid cool weather brought on by a morning shower, hundreds of people of all ages gamely walked around a new Singapore park in aid of Habitat for Humanity.

Supported by title sponsor Barclays, HFH Singapore’s “Bare Your Sole” encouraged people to walk 2.5 km. or 4 km. without shoes to show their support for those who are living in poverty and often shoeless.

Singapore’s former cabinet minister and patron of HFH Singapore, S. Dhanabalan, kicked off the walk which drew hordes of students as well as families pushing prams and children walking dogs.

At Gardens by the Bay East where the walk was held, HFH Singapore also put up makeshift shelters simulating the living conditions of slum dwellers in Asia. Many participants were seen posing inside the shelters while having their photographs taken by friends.

Emilia Mason (second from left) with her friend, Heron Holloway, found the experience of walking barefoot to be very humbling.

Participants included local celebrity Paul Foster who built with Habitat for Humanity during the 2009 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Others who walked without shoes included 28-year-old Emilia Mason from the United Kingdom who took part in the event for the first time.

Mason said: “Bare Your Sole was a superb experience, to see varying ages from 2-80 years taking part in the walk displayed a great sense of togetherness.

“Walking in bare feet gave me a chance to see how other less fortunate than myself live their lives, I found the experience very humbling. Thanks Habitat for Humanity, same time next year!”

More than 4,000 people registered for the charity walk which raised over S100,000 (US80,530) for Habitat’s work.

Last year’s walk attracted 2,500 people and raised about US160,000. The 2010 event was the second annual “Bare Your Sole” and the first time in which Barclays partnered with HFH Singapore.