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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Informa,on: Deni Avant: 704-‐200-‐2204; [email protected]
SAMARITAN'S FEET ANNOUNCES ITS 2017 “PERSON OF THE YEAR”
November 9, 2017 (CharloFe, NC) – Samaritan’s Feet Interna,onal is proud to announce that Patrick Thean is the 2017 “Samaritan’s Feet Person of the Year.” Thean, CEO of Rhythm Systems, raised the most funds, impac,ng the most children, from among ten honorees who par,cipated in the 2017 Samaritan’s Feet Hope Giver program.
"I am humbled to have been selected as Samaritan’s Feet’s Person of the Year. My only purpose was to put more shoes on children’s feet. We soared past my fundraising goal by 184%. Together, we raised $27,550 which serves 1,377 children,” said Thean.
All par,cipants in the Hope Giver program were commi^ed to raising at least $5,000 each which serves 250 children with a new pair of shoes with a message of hope. The par,cipants exceeded their goals raising a combined $80,900 together, which serves 4,045 individuals with a new pair of shoes.
Thean was recognized at the 6th annual Barefoot Gala on Saturday, November 4 at Le Meridien Hotel and presented with an award and challenged Gala guests to think about the impact they can make. The Barefoot Gala, one of Samaritan’s Feet’s premier events, raised a total of $226,000 through sponsorships, silent and live auc,ons, ,cket sales, dona,ons, and marketplace.
“I've supported Samaritan's Feet for 14 years now because of this direct impact the dona,ons can make. Every $20 donated is equivalent to a pair of shoes so if you like Starbucks -‐ that's 4 la^es. Many people don’t realize that a pair of shoes can be the difference between life and death. As I encouraged guests at the Barefoot Gala, think about the impact you could make.”
Thean’s previous company, Metasys, was actually the company who offered Manny Ohonme, CEO and Co-‐Founder of Samaritan’s Feet, his first job in November of 1995 ul,mately moving Ohonme and his family to Charlo^e.
To learn more about our 2017 Hope Givers please visit www.SamaritansFeet.org/Hope-‐Givers.
About Samaritan’s Feet InternaNonal Samaritan’s Feet is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian aid organiza,on that shares a message of hope and love through washing the feet of impoverished children around the world and adorning them with new shoes. There are an es,mated 2.2 billion people worldwide living in poverty and more than 1.5 billion who suffer from foot borne diseases. The goal of Samaritan’s Feet is to create a world with zero shoeless children. Since its founding by Manny Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet and its team of ambassadors and partners have blessed almost 7 million children in more than 85 na,ons. For more informa,on about Samaritan’s Feet Interna,onal, visit www.SamaritansFeet.org.
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