Elizabethtown College hosted Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence event on Oct. 27. The event was run by Student Wellness with Health Educator Amanda Cheetham leading the team.
The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes organization was started by Frank Baird in 2001. Baird saw the walk as a playful opportunity to raise awareness for a serious cause. Baird and his friends have helped it expand from a few participants to tens of thousands of walkers, raising millions of dollars. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes raises awareness of sexual violence by enabling the community to discuss a subject that is not easy to talk about.
Also, the students learned ways they can seek help. The money raised at the events goes to local crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and other sexual violence education, prevention and remediation programs.
The day began with junior Matt Walters presenting the kickoff speech in front of the Baugher Student Center. About 25 participants then marched their way on a mile walk around campus. Three of the participants wore heels and made it through the whole mile without any injuries. Along the walk, helpers held informative signs as the walkers trekked along. The signs included statistics, such as the one that stated that in every two minutes, someone in the United States is raped. Also, one in six women are victims of sexual assault.
When the walk concluded, there was a raffle drawn and the prize for “Best in Shoe” was awarded; the participant with the best heels, junior Chris Rio, won.
The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event was brought to Etown Wellness advocates who were participants in these walks in the past. Student Wellness advocate sophomore Madeline Cochran explained the benefit of the walk being brought to Etown, saying “It’s a way of looking out for the entire campus by educating people in a fun way.”
A few accolades the organization has received include Kaiser’s Everyday Hero Award in 2005, Peter Martin Merit Award in 2008 and the Safe Passage Good Samaritan Award in 2008. Most recently, the organization was presented Kaiser’s David Lawrence Community Service Award in 2010.
