By Heather Posey
Staff Writer
This weekend, the men of Long Beach will be trading in their work boots for a nice pair of stillettos as the Sexual Assault Crisis Agency (SACA) hosts the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes men’s march.
On Saturday, Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon, the international march will raise awareness of rape, sexual assault and gender violence. The march, created by Westlake Village therapist and rape crisis advocate Frank Baird, encourages men to play a part in helping to end rape and sexual violence in society.
“Sexualized violence does not just affect women. It’s an epidemic,” says Baird on the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes Web site. “It affects the men and women who care about them, their families, friends, co-workers and their communities.”
Though the march has been raising awareness nationwide since 2001, this is the first year that the SACA is hosting it in Long Beach.
“This is something we are hoping to become an annual event,” said SACA Outreach Director Ashleigh Klein. “It’s a fun opportunity for men to educate the community about a serious subject and to rally the community to take action in preventing sexualized violence.”
Saturday’s walk will begin at 3737 Long Beach Boulevard, where participants will go north to Roosevelt, turn right to Atlantic Avenue. From there marchers will travel onto 37th Street back to Long Beach Boulevard, walking in high heels for a little more than one mile.
The fundraiser is sponsored by United Healthcare and Southern California Edison. All funds from the event go to support the services of the SACA.
Registration for Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is still open and the cost is $20 per person. Each walker is required to provide his or her own shoes.
The SACA is located at 3711 Long Beach Boulevard, Suite 815 in Long Beach. For more information, contact the Sexual Assault Crisis Agency at (562) 989-0309.
