Walking a mile in her shoes for domestic violence
[gtxvideo vid=”qiPtkWS3″ playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/qiPtkWS3.jpg” vtitle=”Walk a Mile”]
JACKSON, Tenn. — Dozens of men walked a mile in someone else’s shoes Saturday in Downtown Jackson, putting on a pair of high heels to make a difference. “For most men they’re like I’m not wearing a woman’s shoe, I’m not going to do that,” W.R.A.P. director Daryl Chansuthus said. It’s definitely not every day you see men parading around downtown in stilettos but Saturday many faced their fears. “We’ve got even more men that have brought their own shoes, saying I’m walking in them,” Chansuthus said. “Because they care and because this matters.” It’s called the Purple Mile, sponsored by Jackson’s Women’s Rape Assistance Program, aimed at ending domestic violence. “We’ve had three domestic homicides just this year alone,” Chansuthus said. “It is a very real problem in our community and we’re working daily to combat it.” They’re taking on the fight one mile at time, and although it may be a little painful, these men said it’s worth it. “It was an adventure,” Curtis Pettis said. “I will never ask my wife to wear them again. For all the years I have pressed her to wear them because it was “sexy” I’m sorry.” “It’s tough,” Heath Williams said. “But the individuals that need help from W.R.A.P. what they’ve gone through is tough as well, so this is the least that we can do for them.” Weather they ran, danced, or just walked, organizers hope it gets the conversation going. “Whatever we are as women and whatever we are as men, that’s enough,” Chansuthus said. “It’s up to us to support each other, to trust and respect each other and to lift each other up.” The purple mile brought in thousands of dollars for W.R.A.P. Saturday. All of the money will go to better the free services they provide for victims of domestic violence.
