TOMS at CGI 2009
In his third year representing TOMS Shoes at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie notes, “This conference is always packed with the most interesting people who are committed to improving the lives of people around the world.” The four-day conference was opened by President Barack Obama and closed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the roster of attendees included Heads of State from over thirty countries, government officials, and influential changemakers such as Bono, Jessica Alba, and Brad Pitt. Such members are committed to delivering results, and since 2005, “commitments made through CGI have affected more than 200 million lives in 150 countries”.
As an example of the progress that results from a CGI Annual Meeting, TOMS has sent over 30,000 pairs of shoes to Dr. Paul Farmer’s organization Partners in Health to be delivered to the people of Haiti affected by hurricane destruction, part of a greater commitment of 100,000 pairs of shoes. This commitment was made alongside a “mega-commitment” by Partners in Health, Procter and Gamble, Good Energies Foundation, Digicel, Wyclef Jean, Matt Damon and Frank McKenna of the One by One Foundation, TOMS Shoes, the government of Haiti, and many other CGI members to expand efforts in Haiti after the country was devastated by an aggressive hurricane season in 2008. See Clinton’s announcement at the closing session in 2008 here (Closing Plenary Session).
“The conversations and calls to action at this conference are just amazing,” Blake said. “They open our eyes to the multitude of issues and challenges and hardships that drastically affect lives of all types of people. But beyond discussing the issues, this is the place where action items are created, organizations hold each other accountable, and change is realized. That’s what keeps TOMS coming back.”
Read Blake's account at the TOMS Shoes Blog.
