Males came with social groups, with friends or on their own to wear bright red high heels.

“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” an international event promoting advocacy of assault and gender violence, was hosted in Rose Arena yesterday by the Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates.

“We started in September,” said Midland senior and SAPA member Eric Bowers. “It’s (been) a long time coming.”

Bowers said SAPA has been planning the event for about nine months.

The participants were first supposed to walk a mile outside in high heels or in feminized flip-flops, but because of weather conditions, participants went around Rose Arena 10 times.

“My calves are very sore,” said Mount Pleasant resident Jared Shepardson, about wearing the high heels. “(I came because) I love causes; anything I can do to help out.”

The event raised about $1,600 with about 110 participants.

Students hikin’ in heels

The students in attendance seemed to have a variety of reasons why they were there, but everyone said it was an interesting event.

Justin Haas, a Novi senior, made signs with his fraternity brothers from Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

“I’m walking in honor of someone,” he said. “(We all are) walking in honor of sisters and friends.”

Clinton Township freshman Nick Abraham came with some of his fraternity members from Alpha Sigma Phi.

“There’s a stereotype that fraternity guys mistreat women,” he said. “We wanted to get our name out and support the cause.”

Abraham said his group was excited to work with SAPA.

“This is something we’ve been trying to do,” he said, “and this was the first opportunity.”

However, males were not the only ones supporting the event.

Victoria Sikorski, a Bronson senior, came with her friend, Kent City junior Amanda Wood, and said she was thrilled to attend and help raise awareness.

“(The best part) is watching guys walk around in heels,” she said. “It’s awesome they’re doing this.”

Veterans & faculty

William Lownsberry, 62, from Wolverine, has been attending “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” events for two years, and drove to CMU to participate in his eighth walk. Lownsberry was a victim of abuse, and knew others in his life who had been abused. He said he walks to bring importance to the issue.

“I know whats it’s like not doing anything,” he said.

Lownsberry said the event is close to his heart.

“The whole idea behind (”Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”) is to talk, to tell stories,” he said. “If others talk, you listen to stories. You make a lot of friends.”

Chris Latty, a Human Environmental Studies faculty member, said he was there to motivate his students to attend.

“I teach HEV 213 and SAPA has been doing guest lectures,” he said. “(This is a) way to support them, and bring attention to (their cause.)”

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E-mail the author: Hilary Farrell