CHESTERTOWN, MD—The fourth annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event at Washington College will send men of all sizes wobbling down Washington Avenue in bright red 4-inch heels Tuesday afternoon, April 30, to raise awareness of sexual violence issues and to raise funds for a nonprofit that offers counseling and support for victims of rape. 

Pre-walk festivities kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Martha Washington Square on the College campus (rain location: the Johnson Fitness Center). The actual march begins at 5 p.m. and ends about 20 minutes later in Fountain Park, downtown Chestertown. 

Organizers stress that, while the heels will be issued only to the male participants who register in advance, everyone is welcome to don sensible flats or sneakers and accompany the men on their perilous walk. Supporters also can gather in Fountain Park to await the marchers’ arrival. 

To register for the event, email Director of Student Development Beth Anne Langrell at student_development@washcoll.edu or call the Student Affairs office at 410-778-7277.  A $5 fee is required, with all proceeds going to For All Seasons, a nonprofit that provides mental health services, including a Rape Crisis Center, throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore. 

Each pre-registered walk participant—male, female, heels or no heels—will receive an event T-shirt. However, registrations will be accepted until the start of the walk, and T-shirts will be distributed if still available. 

The Walk-A Mile events were started 10 years ago in California by Frank Baird, a volunteer with a rape-crisis center who labeled it “The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence.” There are now dozens of walks held in communities across the country.