Green Guide Network CEO Casey Cochran to Run the Santa Barbara Marathon Barefoot In Support of TOMS Shoes Mission to Raise Money and Awareness of Children’s Need for Footwear for Worldwide
Laguna Beach, CA -- Casey’s feet have already logged over 75 miles in 3 different states in three months. He has been hit by a Hummer, gotten stares from people, and his feet hurt but nothing is deterring him from running a marathon barefoot for a good cause.
As a regular supporter of sustainability initiatives worldwide CEO and Founder of the Green Guide Network, Casey Cochran will be running the Santa Barbara Marathon (December 6) barefoot in support of TOMS Shoes’ mission. His barefoot efforts will help to raise awareness and provide shoes to children in need worldwide with the goal of improving their health, education and quality of life.
“It’s been an interesting process – the idea came to me running one evening on the beach. I wanted to do something that raise awareness for a genuine charity as well as challenge myself personally.”
Casey’s goal is to put over 1000 pairs of shoes on kids feet worldwide and is now collecting sponsors and donations. Those interested in supporting his quest, can donate to the cause two different ways:
1) Buy a pair of shoes on TOMSshoes.com (using Casey’s link:
http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp?aid=4xxx&linkID=4xxx) for yourself or a friend. TOMS will then give a pair of new shoes to a child in need on your behalf. TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.
2) Donate any amount of money at
http://www.friendsoftoms.org/ that will go directly to Friends of TOMS, a non-profit dedicated to eradicating Podoconiosis, a debilitating disease that plagues those who walk barefoot in silica-rich soil. Podo is 100% preventable just by wearing shoes! TOMS gives shoes to children in Ethiopia weekly to prevent the spread of Podo. Be sure to enter “Casey Cochran” in the “In Honor Of” field on the Friends of TOMS donation page, so Casey can keep track of donations.
The Santa Barbara Marathon will be Casey’s 4th marathon bid but first barefoot attempt. Anyone interested in sponsoring Casey in this effort should contact:
Casey@greenguidenetwork.comABOUT CASEY COCHRAN
Casey Cochran doesn’t wear socks. (Saving himself gallons of water each year.)
He also doesn’t buy new furniture, new clothes or pay over $10 a month in electricity bills. Thanks to his commitment to living green, he has learned to be creative, innovative and economical when it comes to life’s necessities and luxuries.
An avid climber and music enthusiast, he travels frequently and his signature style is so right on, that he was just recognized by Orange Coast magazine as an 2009 OC LOOK honoree, a list of Orange County’s most stylish people.
After a beginning his career in advertising, then transitioning to real estate, Casey found his calling when he launched the OC Green Guide in 2006. What began as a list of his own personal favorite local “green” resources, markets, products and events soon expanded with the help of friends and colleagues. In 2009, the OC Green Guide became the Green Guide Network and Casey’s full time job.
Says Casey, “Whether due to necessity or by design, the people I've met in other parts of the world seem to consume less and care about their environment more and are just generally better informed. My goal in establishing and expanding the Green Guide Network is to create a tool that can spark that kind of awareness at a very local, grassroots level and help change the mindset of people in the cities we come to.”
As one who practices what he preaches, Casey is often turned to as a green expert by the media with features in Orange Coast magazine, Greer’s OC, the Orange County Register, Treehugger.com and the Sierra Club.
ABOUT THE GREEN GUIDE NETWORK
The Green Guide Network’s grassroots, ultra-local perspective provides specific, up-to-the-minute info on the latest green initiatives, people, products and organizations in each city, including: Environmental Organizations & Events; Local Farmers Markets & Natural Foods Restaurants; Outdoor Sports & Activities; Recycling Centers; Natural Health; Fitness & Body Care; Transportation; Kids, Pets & Family; and Green Homes & Gardens.
The Green Guide Network is for people looking for honest information about eco-friendly products and services in their local area, as well as information on how to live a greener life including: Daily news briefs on eco-focused businesses; Living green tips; Direct links to many green and health-oriented businesses;A live forum to chat freely with the GGN community; FREE weekly paperless newsletter and a nationwide Green Job Board, which is updated daily.
http://www.greenguidenetwork.com/ABOUT TOMS SHOES
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. To date, TOMS has given over 150,000 pairs* of shoes to children around the world. TOMS’ goal is to give 300,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need in 2009 – but with recent successes, TOMS is hopeful of giving even more.
*As of August 1, 2009
