tonymcewing's Blog

OK men, here's your chance to show your support for women and help those of them who have been victims of violence. I have to admit it's an unusual idea, and I'm not sure who came up with it, but here it is, if you are a man and you really want to know what it's like to walk a mile in the other gender's shoes--literally. It's a march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence organized by the Valley Trauma Center. And, yes, high heels will be distributed to the male marchers, along with signs and t-shirts. The march is Saturday April 28 at the Sherman Oaks Galleria located at 15301 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Registration and distribution of high heels will begin at 10am with the opening ceremony starting at 11:30. The actual mile-long march will commence at noon with a post-march reception at 1pm, where awards will be presented to the individual and team that raised the most money. By the way, there will be entertainment, food, beverages and perhaps most importantly, foot massages! Men in high heels may be a funny sight, but there is nothing funny about the violence perpetuated against women, which is a huge and ongoing problem in this country. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Valley Trauma Center, which by the way, is the only sexual assault and rape crisis center serving the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. If you want more information you can call (818) 756-5330 or you can go the the website: www.walkamileinhershoes.org. And by the way, you don't have to wear high heels to take part in the walk. There will be plenty of marchers, male and female, who will be wearing much more sensible shoes for the occasion. But for those men do want to get a real "feel" for what women go through or who just want a chance to get in touch with their feminine side, high heels are being distributed on a first come, first serve basis.