Men Step in Heels for Annual ‘Walk a Mile’

YWCA Hawai‘i Island hosts the seventh annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 28.

The one-mile march, which features men in heels, begins at 7:30 a.m. at the YWCA Ululani Street campus in Hilo.

Hawai‘i County Prosecutor Mitch Roth, Hawai‘i Police Chief Paul Ferreira, Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Bugado and radio personality Darrin “DC” Carlson will lead this year’s march.

The walk aims to shed light on the prevalence of sex assault and raise $25,000 for the YWCA’s Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) program.

SASS services include a 24/7 sex assault crisis hotline, a medical forensic exam program and counseling support for survivors and their families. Services are free and offered islandwide.

“This year, with such heightened national attention on sexual assault, and people finally coming out of the shadows to report it, we hope our walk will galvanize support for survivors and awareness of the serious issues,” said Kathleen McGilvray, CEO of YWCA Hawai‘i Island.

In 2016, money raised through Walk a Mile helped SASS respond to 2,440 crisis calls from or on behalf of victims of sexual violence. The program opened 329 cases, provided 1,929 hours of therapy to 167 people and performed 47 forensic medical exams.

March participants should report to the kick-off site (145 Ululani St.) by 7:30 a.m. to register, select shoes and warm up for the walk. Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by awards ceremony at 9:30 a.m.

Walkers can wear decorated shoes for the judges’ choice contest.

All participants must complete an entry form and submit a $25 registration fee. Participants with a minimum of $100 in pledges can register for free and all those with $150 in pledges receive a Walk a Mile Tee and registration.

Those interested in participating in the walk – individually or as a team – or being an event sponsor should call (808) 935-7141, ext. 162, email Events@YWCAHawaiiIsland.org or go to YWCAHawaiiIsland.org.