Are you running in RAK on February 8th? Well now's your chance to do something extra special, by making like Natalie Portman and Cameron Diaz and donating your old running shoes to charity.

Bring a spare pair of shoes to change into after you finish the race, and donate your old running shoes to Shoe4Africa - a charity that's been putting shoes on needy feet in Africa since 1995. And they're really making a difference.

Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, is Africa's largest slum. Over a million impoverished people live in an area the size of Safa Park! That's a lot of people, in a very small space, when you think about it. Many of them are infected with hookworm - a parasite that's contracted through bare feet and causes nasty infections. It can affect everything from a child's intellectual development to a woman's ability to carry a baby full term. And all this can all be prevented by simply wearing shoes.

Shoe4Africa aims to put shoes on as many people in the Kibera slum as possible. At the New York marathon 9,800 pairs of trainers were donated.

Fabiano Joseph was donated a pair of shoes, and loved them so much he started running. Now he's a world champion and will even be running the RAK Half Marathon 2008 - go along and see for yourself what a used pair of shoes can achieve.

Please help these guys, and donate as many pairs of decent quality shoes as you can, (no heels or open toes, obviously. Not much need for those). Any shoes that still have some life left in them are perfect - trainers, sports or leisure shoes ideally (for children or adults). Collect from your family, friends and colleagues and bring to RAK on February 8th. It does make a difference.

Natalie Portman and Cameron Diaz are both huge supporters of the charity. If you're not going to the RAK, follow Natalie's suggestion and just ship those shoes directly to Kenya:

"I have a friend collecting shoes for Kenya - each pair that's worn will cut down the spread of disease. It's all about doing something constructive. If you're going to buy $200 Nike shoes, spend $7 to send your old shoes to Africa. It's a nice balance."

Look for the collection point near the finish line/baggage area.

For more information on Shoe4Africa in the UAE, please contact Samantha Dobson shoe4africadubai@gmail.com

Or, wrap your shoes in a shoebox, seal with tape and take it to the post office, addressed to

M.Kiplagat, Shoe4Africa, PO Box 6943, Eldoret, Kenya.