Pa. teens host 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' events for a good cause
PHOENIXVILLE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- What could convince a group of men to walk a mile in high heels? In this case, it's a group of high school students determined to make a difference.
Phoenixville Area High School Student Vivona Xu first heard of the international movement non social media. It's known as 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The International Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence.'
Following its lead, Xu and her classmates have hosted three annual events where local men dress in high heels and walk a mile.
In that time, they have raised $5,000 for The Crime Victims Center of Chester County, which provides counseling and other resources to those affected by crimes in the county.
"I want to bring Walk a Mile to eventually my college, or other places I eventually go to," said Xu, "And end sexualized violence. That is the ultimate goal."
Xu's classmates worked on organizing this year's event for months and even incorporated their school's National Honor Society. It took place earlier this spring at Reeves Park.
"One thing that we incorporated new this year was The Handprint Project, which was just a pledge of the people that were walking to stand in solidarity of everyone who's experienced sexual violence or sexual crimes," said Gabriella Goudie.
The group of student advocates wanted to make it easier for people to speak up.
"Sexualized violence is such a hard thing to talk about," said Alice Lynch. "By dramaticizing the issue and making it more playful, we can really help address it at its core."
To learn more about Walk a Mile in Her Shoes or get resources from The Crime Victims Center of Chester County, visit their websites.
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