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Men Urged To Don Heels To Protest Domestic Violence

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 27, 2008

DADE CITY - On Oct. 4, Pasco County men will be asked to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes to understand the plight of women affected by domestic violence.

Sponsored by Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March is a domestic violence awareness event that will take place at 6 p.m. as part of the Dade City Cruise-In in downtown Dade City; marchers will meet on the southwest corner of Seventh Street and Meridian Avenue at 5 p.m.

While the march will involve women, men and children, men will make a special statement by wearing high heels, pumps and flats that are decorated in a feminine fashion.

"We hope people will get the message that it takes everyone in the community to come together and get involved in the fight against domestic violence," said Christina Bates, social change community organizer of Sunrise of Pasco County Inc.

"Men can get involved and be allies in our quest to make the community safer."

The men who lead the march will express this sentiment in a variety of ways. They will decorate their shoes with accessories such as bows; some will carry special props, whose meaning they will explain at the beginning of the event.

"One will carry a suitcase, to symbolize what it's like for women who have to flee their homes while taking only a few belongings with them," Bates said. "Another will push a carriage to show how children are affected."

March banners and T-shirts will further emphasize the message; walkers will receive the T-shirts free of charge, along with refreshments courtesy of Coca-Cola in Brooksville.

Local officials, community leaders, business members, faith-based communities, fathers and husbands will participate in the march.

Also at the event, people can pick up information about how to volunteer at Sunrise and subscribe to the agency's newsletter.

They can see T-shirts designed during the Sunrise Clothesline project.

"People decorate these T-shirts with messages that convey anything they want to express about domestic violence," Bates said.

This awareness is particularly important, said Bates, when one considers recent domestic violence statistics in Pasco County.

According to Sunrise statistics, eight domestic violence homicides took place in Pasco County in 2007; five domestic violence homicides have occurred so far in 2008.

In 2006, Pasco County law enforcement officers wrote approximately 9,000 domestic violence police reports.

During the 2007-08 fiscal year, 213 people (100 women, 113 children) were residents at the shelter.

A total of 1,861 hot line calls were answered, and 631 participants received face-to-face counseling services at Sunrise.

About 50 marchers have registered for the Oct. 4 march. And as a kickoff to October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Bates hopes that more men will choose to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes; toward enhanced awareness of a very important issue.

"To raise awareness, we want to kick off this month by reaching an audience we don't normally reach," Bates said.

"We thought that this march was a fun way to introduce men to a serious matter."

WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES
SOME BACKGROUND: Sponsored by Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March is, according to a news release, "a march where men literally wear women's shoes in a bold act of support in the mission to end domestic and sexual violence in our community."

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March is intended to help raise awareness about domestic violence in a fun, unique manner, to kick off October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an opportunity for men to educate the community about a very serious subject and to rally the community to take action to prevent domestic violence," the release stated.

A LITTLE HISTORY: This marks the first Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March hosted by Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center.

In hosting the march, organizers were inspired by the efforts of the national Walk a Mile in Her Shoes organization, which puts together similar marches to raise awareness about sexual assault.

GET INVOLVED: For information about Sunrise's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March or to RSVP, call (352) 521-3358; or register at www.sunrise pasco.org.

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