September 26, 2016
Anne Stewart
Walking a mile in high-heel shoes can be painful, but if it is worth supporting a good cause, students and faculty are willing to try.
The third annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes will be at Iron Horse Park in Fort Carson on Oct. 1. Respect on Campus, Pikes Peak Community College and Fort Carson Army Community Services will host the event.
Participants can check in at 9:30 a.m.
The walk starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes participants can walk in high-heels to raise awareness of domestic violence and to show support for victims in the Colorado Springs community.
A good turnout for the event has been seen in previous years, according to senior communication and WEST major Ethan Wade, who serves as the outreach coordinator for ROC. As many as 150-400 people have attended in the past, said Wade, and 200 tickets have been reserved for this year’s walk.
The event will include extra activities and a proclamation in addition to the walk.
“The goal is to create awareness on campus and in the community about the prevalence and impact of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and other crimes like that,” said Wade.
“Sexual assault and domestic violence can be such a weighty topic that it can be really hard for people to talk about and for everyone to be able to come together in this light-hearted way and throw on heels and walk a mile.”
ROC is an interpersonal violence awareness program that educates students on different forms of sexual misconduct. The organization works to educate students about policies and ways to respond to sexual assault and domestic violence, said Wade.
Public safety officers have walked in the past at the event, as well as Steve Linhart, dean of students.
Marc Pino, interim chief of police, was one of the police officers to walk in the event last year on campus.
He said that the event was fun, and a hard part about the walk was finding high-heeled shoes in his size.
“It was really interesting and painful, and I love my wife a whole lot more because of it,” said Pino.
Media only offers one perspective when they report accounts of sexual assault, and events like Walk a Mile in Her Shoes can help to offer the other side of the story, according to Pino.
“I think anything that can get people out of their comfort zone is really helpful in both domestic violence and sexual assault awareness; to get people to see it from that different perspective,” said Pino.
Registration is required for the event, so if you wish to register or find out more information, students can visit eventbrite.com.