and that's just what they'll do.

and come September, these boots are going to walk 4,000 miles from New York City to LA to raise funds and awareness for abandoned children in China who grow up without the love and support of a family. I'm walking to benefit the Half the Sky Foundation, which is an organization that raises orphans all over China, from infants to college age. The program I'm most interested in supporting is one that grants full academic and financial support for those children and young adults who exceed the age of 14 and therefore cannot be adopted. It provides them with the opportunities to pursue their dreams in life, just as every human being should be able to.

HTS's mission statement:

Half the Sky was created in order to enrich the lives and enhance the prospects for orphaned children in China. We establish and operate infant nurture and preschool programs, provide personalized learning for older children and offer loving permanent family care and guidance for children with disabilities. It is our goal to provide a caring adult in the life of every orphaned child and to ensure the chance for a brighter future.

For a child who must go out into the world without an education, without family, without confidence, or trust, or ever knowing that what happens to her matters, life can be unspeakably tough.

I strongly encourage you to visit their website at ....... and make a donation to give these children the loving support that HTS provides. Since your donation is going directly to the Foundation, there isn't a way for me to know how much has been contributed. So I ask that, if you feel comfortable doing so, you send me an email notifying me of the amount of your donation so that I can keep track of the progress. Of course, if you would rather remain anonymous, I completely understand.