Annual Event on April 27 Challenges Community Members to Walk One Mile in High-Heeled Shoes to Raise Awareness About Rape, Sexual Assault, and Gender Violence
The Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program at St. Peter’s Health Partners will host the 12th annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at Riverfront Park in Troy.
Held in observance of April as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” is a community walk against rape, sexual assault, and gender violence.
To show their support, community members – particularly men – are challenged to literally walk one mile through downtown Troy in high-heeled shoes.
To register for the walk, please visit: https://www.walkamileSPHP.org.
WYJB 95.5 FM personality and program director Chad O’Hara will serve as the emcee. O’Hara will be joined by Sean McMaster, co-host of the B95.5 Breakfast Club.
“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” takes its name from the old adage that you can’t understand another person’s experience until you have walked a mile in their shoes. While providing an opportunity to do this in a fun, positive setting, the event also starts difficult yet necessary conversations about gender relations and sexual violence against women and men.
“Rape and sexual violence are crimes that affect more than just the victim – they impact families, friends, and our community as a whole,” said Rachel Handler, executive director of behavioral health at St. Peter’s Health Partners. “‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’ provides an opportunity to start and continue conversations about this difficult topic. It also allows us, as a community, to stand with survivors and let it be known that sexual assault, without exception, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 19.3 percent of women in the United States – nearly one in five women – have been raped during their lifetime, and an estimated 43.9 percent of American women and 23.4 percent of men have been victims of sexual violence other than rape during their lifetime.
More than 500 people turn out every year for “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” in Troy. Proceeds from the event benefit direct services to victims, such as counseling, legal advocacy, and education and outreach efforts.
Registration is $20 per person ($10 for students), which includes a T-shirt, food, and more. Prizes will be awarded for the top individual fundraiser and the top team fundraiser.
Click here for further registration details, or click here for sponsorship opportunities. For more information, please call 518-482-4433.
About “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”
“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” was created in 2001 by Frank Baird, a marriage and family therapist in California. What started out as a small group of men daring to totter around a park has grown to become a world-wide movement with tens of thousands of men raising millions of dollars for local rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation programs. In 2007, Baird formed the nonprofit organization Venture Humanity to help unite communities and raise money for local rape crisis centers.
About The Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program at St. Peter’s Health Partners
The Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program at St. Peter’s Health Partners is committed to reducing the trauma of crime and violence, as well as providing community education for its prevention. The program is dedicated to creating a supportive, caring environment for victims/survivors and their families to enhance the healing process. It offers education, prevention, and crisis care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to sexual assault survivors and crime victims, and their families and friends. All services are free and confidential. The program also offers a 24-hour hotline for individuals in need, 518-271-3257. Learn more at https://www.sphp.com/sexual-assault.
