Walking in high heels can be tricky, but men and boys in Hancock County decided to ignore all that and slip on a pair of red high heels to raise awareness for sexual assault and domestic abuse.
The march is called “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” and this year marks the 9th year that Open Arms, a rape and domestic violence crisis center, has run the event. Talking about these topics is sometimes difficult, but Open Arms stresses that getting the word out is critical.
"It's so important to raise awareness about this, we hear so many times that this is a fantastic community, and it is, but it's happening everywhere, domestic violence and sexual assault is happening - there's no stereotypes happens in every area, and every gender, it just is everywhere," said Jodi DiVore, Communications Coordinator with Open Arms.
The march involved men and boys to walk in their heels for a mile around Riverside Park - which for some, was easier said than done - but knowing what they were marching for helped.
"I'm doing this for my mom; she was with Open Arms for a few months with the relationship that she was in, and that's why I'm here," said Robb Elliott.
"I think that it needs to be done, and people don't deserve what they're getting," said Keith Straub.
Also featured with the walk was a t-shirt project to show how domestic abuse can affect someone’s life.
"Victims of domestic violence here in Hancock County have made the shirts, sharing their story about what they've been through," DiVore said. "We really just want everybody to know it's happening and we're here to help."
