By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Standing in red high heels, nearly 50 men rallied to help end violence against women.
The fourth annual ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’ fundraiser smashed gender stereotypes and raised thousands of dollars for Sexual Abuse Support Services (SASS) for Women of SDG&A on Saturday.
Adam Clermont, a 27-year-old city resident, didn’t wear the fancy footwear for a shot at becoming Canada’s next top model. He strutted down the downtown streets of Cornwall to draw awareness to the plight of female victims of abuse.
“These shoes hurt so much. I don’t understand why any woman would do this much just for a man,” Clermont joked. “It feels great to be a part of this event. I’m glad to be a man supporting it.”
Angela Vinet, executive director of SASS, said a lot of the women who turn to them for help are primarily survivors of incest or childhood sexual assault.
“Women are looking for a place where they can feel supported and comfortable and heal from their issues,” said Vinet.
She hopes the event raises awareness about the reality of domestic violence and the services available at SASS to help its victims.
“We wanted to bring violence against women into the light to deal with it as a city,” she said. “We also wanted to show the community that there are men out there who are good and do take a stand to prevent violence against women.”
Vinet thanked sponsors and the event committee for making the walk a runaway success.
Event committee members included Dan O’Rourke, Laurencrest Youth Services, Alex de Witt, executive director of the Social Development Council, Rick Welburn, manager at Summit Fitness, and several SASS counsellors.
For more information on SASS, call 613-932-1755 or visit sassforwomen.ca.
