Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

It was another weekend full of fun, friends, and volunteering! As you may or may not know about me, in 2016 I was a county fair queen which was an amazing opportunity that allowed me to meet so many great people and do a ton of cool things. Well, the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event was something I did for the first time when I was a county fair queen and it really made a huge impression on me. This year I decided to walk to prevent sexual assault yet again this year!

Despite the rather rainy weather, there was a large crowd that showed up to walk! It was exciting to see so many participants, especially the men who were committed to actually walking in heels! The ladies didn’t have to wear heels, but the men who walked did and they were not too bad at wearing them. I even saw one guy run in heels!!

There is something very heartwarming about seeing so many people show up even on a rainy day to help a worthy cause. Luckily, there has been so much attention given to sexual assault in society recently that it has truly boosted the turnout for events like Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.

At the end of our one mile walk we were all handed a cute red heel. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes was always one of the most impactful events I did as a county fair queen because I participated before the #MeToo movement started, and it really opened my eyes to the broader issue of sexual assault. I was only sixteen when I walked in this event for the first time so I was pretty clueless about how many people are affect by sexual assault, but thanks to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes I was much more aware.

Another reason the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event made such a huge impression on me both now and when I was sixteen is because of the display of t-shirts they had hanging up. There is a local therapeutic program that was created for the survivors of sexual assault where they write on t-shirts how they feel. Seeing the words they chose and witnessing how they express themselves always stays with me. Below are a few of the t-shirts that were at this year’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event.

If you are interested, check out Walk a Mile in Her Shoes website here to see if there is an event near you and how you can get involved.

Much Love,

Sarah