Men in heels raise awareness of sexual assault

Anderson Independent-Mail - 4/21/2017

April 21--Sandals, wedges, purple satin pumps and snake-skin patterned heels. The choices were varied.

One by one about a dozen men walked up to the Foothills Alliance tent at Carolina Wren Park in downtown Anderson Thursday night and tried on pair after pair of heels, looking for the right size. They laughed as they took a few wobbling steps and some traded shoes with others.

While it was all fun and games trying them on, the cause was sobering. Foothills Alliance, an organization dedicated to helping sexual abuse victims and preventing sexual violence through education and advocacy, hosted its annual Walk a Mile event, to raise awareness for the nonprofit and its cause.

However this year, the name was changed from Walk a Mile in Her Shoes to Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, to be more inclusive of victims.

"It's not just women who are victims," said Foothills Alliance Executive Director Tracy Bowie. "It's men and children, too."

As the men slipped their feet into a pair of heels, they put aside some of their feelings of discomfort.

"I feel pretty good," said Westside High School junior and football player Jonathan Bruce, whose mother is on the nonprofit's board of directors. "Some people may say it's embarrassing, but once you see the purpose behind it, you do it for the cause. It's not about you."

After Mason Carey of Anderson picked out his shoes, he chose a bright-colored sign to carry during the walk and shook his head as he read the facts about sexual assault in America, such as one sign that read, "In 8 out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the person who sexually assaulted them."

"It's sad," he said.

But he was happy to walk because "It's a good cause," Carey said.

Armed with their signs and shoes, Lt. Don Hodges with Anderson Police Department led the group through the crowd at the weekly Piedmont Natural Gas Block Party as people cheered. This was Hodges' second year walking in the event. He got involved because of his wife's role as one of the organization's board members and his own experience on the police force.

"It's my 28th year in law enforcement and I've seen the cycle of sexual abuse and domestic violence," Hodges said. "It's not just about putting people in jail, but helping the victims in the aftermath."

This is Foothills Alliance's fifth year hosting the event in Anderson. Since the organization also serves Oconee County, it hosts a similar event in Seneca.

Bowie said the event is held during one of the block parties in Anderson to let many people know there is help for those who need it.

"We see more than 300 children a year in the two counties we serve," Bowie said. "It's important to get the word out and to let others know about our services and that we're there."

Follow Frances Parrish on Twitter @frances_AIM

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