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Printer-Friendly ModeMen don high heels for 'Battle'
November 6, 2006 —
The comfort of arches was put on hold Thursday evening as the University hosted "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence" as part of the "Battle of the Valleys" competitive fundraiser.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Sexual Assault Program of Child and Family Services, which the Student Association selected as the charitable organization for this year's "Battle of the Valleys."
Over 100 people registered to partake in the walk, although more than twice that many actually participated in the fundraiser.
The walk was geared towards creating a stronger sense of awareness of women's experiences in the hopes of altering perspectives, improving gender relationships, and decreasing the likelihood of violence.
The program incorporates the well-known saying that you can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes by asking men to literally walk a mile in women's shoes.
"Men are part of the solution, because unfortunately, the majority of sexual assault is caused by men," said Tony Thomson, Director of the Student Counseling Center, who brought the national event to SVSU.
Thomson added he wanted to bring the event here because of the way it engages the male community and thus creates a better sense of awareness.
Campus clubs, organizations ,and athletic teams were among those who made the mile-long journey around the various campus buildings.
Although the fundraiser calls for the participation of men, many women also took part in the walk.
"My girlfriend's doing this, so I agreed to do it, too," said Ryan Shedd, 21, of Bad Axe, who was sporting a pair of pink high-heels.
In collaboration with the Student Association, the event was coordinated by the One in Four and Sexual Assault Network (SANet) groups.
One in Four is an all-male peer education group with the objective to see an end to sexual violence.
SANet, also a peer education group, creates awareness while offering support to those who have experienced sexual assault.