A Cause for Attention
Some bands pick a platform, some tours take a stand – Here’s music news that doesn’t highlight the messenger, just the message.
This week’s focus: The Walk Tour. Hanson, HIVSA and TOMS.
Hanson’s latest tour (it’s still funny to see that written down) will stop in Chicago next weekend; and if their website is any indication, they’re putting their causes in the limelight.
“We want to inspire others to look for simple, tangible and fun ways to make a difference,? Taylor Hanson said in a statement. "It is easy to be halted by the great hurdles of poverty and AIDS, but making an impact can begin as simply as giving someone a pair of shoes or buying a song."
The particular song the singer/pianist speaks of is "Great Divide," which Hanson recorded in Africa and released last November. Proceeds from the download-only track are being donated to HIVSA, an African AIDS relief organization.
HIVSA, a non-profit organization, was started to support people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. It runs a broad range of social-support programs in greater Soweto, Gauteng and the Bohlabela district in Limpopo, South Africa. HIVSA’s aim is to enable those affected by HIV to “build resilience through an innovative community-based program, encouraging them to reach their full potential.?
A charity record single sounds simple enough in this digital age…but what about shoes?
TOMS shoes will be available at every tour stop on The Walk Tour, and the idea seems straightforward. For every pair of shoes that are bought, founder Blake Mycoskie donates an equal pair. The donating is done through what are being called “shoe drops.? The first shoe drop was held in October 2006, donating 8,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina. The next drop is scheduled for November 1 in South Africa, with a goal of delivering 50,000 pairs of shoes.
TOMS shoes are inspired by alpargata, Argentina’s traditional rope-soled footwear. Oprah’s O Magazine named Blake Mycoskie the “Good Guy of the Month? in March of this year, and claimed “these bright, summer-friendly slip-ons will make your generous little heart beat faster while comforting your soles.? [Editor’s note: It’s always good to let other writers make stupid puns for you.]
So there you have it! If you feel compelled, download that single and get yourself a pair of shoes – for the duration of The Walk Tour you can enter the code ‘Hanson’ when you reach the TOMS checkout page to receive free shipping.
Whether thoughts of Hanson make you do a little dance or cringe in repressed horror, The Walk Tour is out to do some good.Posted by Leen Morrissey on Sep 21, 2007 @ 12:00 am
