There’s an old saying: “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” We’ve all heard it a million times, but what does it actually mean?
Well, in the case of Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, it’s quite a literal translation.
The event asks men to literally walk a mile through Concord in women’s high-heeled shoes to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence.
“The whole purpose is to bring awareness,” said Karen McNamara of the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire, which puts on the event. “We’re never going to end domestic violence and sexual assault, but the best way to slow it down is to educate people.”
You don’t have to wear high heels, guys, but it’s part of the fun, and it gets the community to talk about something that’s really difficult to talk about: domestic and sexual violence. It’s also not just for men and boys – everyone of all age is invited and welcome to participate.
All that being said, this should still be a good opportunity to see a bunch of hairy-legged guys stumbling around in stilettos, if you’re into that sort of thing.
You can join as an individual, join a team or start your own team. Registration is $35 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6 to 17 and free for kids 5 and under, and can be completed at cccnh.org/walk-a-mile-in-her-shoes.html.
The goal is to try to raise $50,000, and there was a little more than $15,000 on hand as of last week, so make sure you do your part to help hit the goal. And don’t worry – all proceeds will go to support the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire to benefit women, children and men affected by domestic and sexual violence in Merrimack County.
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes 2016 is more than just a walk. There will also be an award ceremony to recognize things like most money raised, best shoes and biggest team, as well as a raffle. Raffle prizes will include cool swag such as an autographed picture of future Celtics star James Young, a $30 gift card to the Sandwich Depot and a six-month membership to the Concord Family YMCA, just to name a few. But, of course, you can’t win anything if you don’t participate.
Online registration will be open right up until the event – which is Oct. 5 – and if you miss the online registration, you’ll be able to register right there (by the arch in front of the State House). Check-in and on-site registration will begin at 4:30, followed by opening remarks at 5:15 and the walk at 5:30.
Contact McNamara at Karen@cccnh.org for more information.
