NEWBURGH, N.Y. - Men's college basketball provides the rare opportunity to see men wearing fine suits jump up and down, roll their eyes, plead from their knees, pirouette, and sit down holding their head in their hands.

In an upcoming game between Mount Saint Mary College and Bard College, fans will also get to see the coaches working in bare feet.

It's for charity.

Through a partnership with Samaritan's Feet, Bard coach Adam Turner and Mount Saint Mary coach Ryan Kadlubowski will coach in bare feet for the Feb. 6 non-league game being hosted by Bard. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

Samaritan's Feet is a non-profit organization which was founded by Emmanuel Ohonme in 2003. Its mission is to equip 10 million impoverished children with 10 million shoes in 10 years. Since beginning in 2003, Samaritan's Feet has helped four million people in 60 countries. It also has partnerships with the NCAA and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

“I first heard about the organization a few years ago when (Butler University coach) Brad Stevens did it,” said Turner, who noted the team's goal is to raise $5,000. “Then when I was at the Final Four last year, they had a table set up, and I started talking to them about doing it at Bard.”

Members of the Bard men's basketball team have already started visiting local businesses, seeking donations of money or gift certificates. The gift certificates will become raffle items.

“We try to do a good job in the community locally,” Turner said. “The program gave us a chance to make a difference globally. We raise money, they buy shoes, and people get shoes. It's an organization with great values and a connection to basketball. It aligned perfectly for us.”

Bard and Mount Saint Mary used to play each other twice a season as members of the Skyline Conference, but Bard joined the Liberty League last season. The Knights have won eight straight against the Raptors, dating back to Bard's 103-100 overtime victory on Feb. 20, 2008.

“I reached out to (Kadlubowski) before the season started, and he e-mailed me back right away,” Turner said. “He was very enthusiastic about it, but he did say he'd have to make sure he went for his first-ever pedicure before the game.”

Tax-deductible donations can be made online by finding the story about the event on the Bard Athletics web site: www.bardathletics.com.  For more information about the work done by Samaritan's Feet, visit www.samaritansfeet.org.