The men sporting brightly colored heels and tights at Richland Mall Wednesday were show stoppers, but thanks to the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes event, they were also a way to discuss the issues of sexual assault and abuse in Columbia.
For the past six years, Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands (STSM) has hosted Walk A Mile In Her Shoes to raise awareness about sexual violence and to highlight local, non-profit organizations that are available to help survivors of sexual assault and abuse.
Just this year the name was changed from “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” to “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes” in order to be more gender inclusive.
“We try to make the event as inclusive as possible so that everyone feels welcome and so that we're able to reach out to as much of our community as possible,” Alison Salisbury, the Community Education Assistant at STSM, said.
STSM is a non-profit organization that began in 1983 and is one of only 14 rape crisis centers in South Carolina.The organization provides support services, crisis intervention, community outreach and education throughout Richland, Lexington, Newberry and Sumter counties.
“Along with [Walk A Mile] being our biggest fundraiser of the year, it serves to educate the community about the entire scope of the problem,” Salisbury said.
All money raised during the Walk a Mile event goes directly to STSM, allowing for the continuation of their services, and contributes to prevention education within the community of Columbia.
During the event, awards were given out to exceptional community leaders and activists, there was an art display by local grade schools and professional athletes like Connor Shaw made an appearance.
At the first walk in 2010, there were a total of 97 participants. This year, there were over two thousand.
Ginny Waller, Executive Director of STSM, has been in charge of the event from the very beginning.
“Sexual violence is a serious topic, and we needed a way to raise awareness, and we saw other places having the walk and it being a huge success,” Waller said.
While individuals of all gender, race, class and sexual orientation attend the annual Walk a Mile event, the event was created to encourage more men to get involved in the fight against sexual assault and abuse.
“One of our biggest goals is to engage boys and men, because if we don’t engage them, we don’t end sexual violence,” Waller said.
South Carolina has one of the highest rates of domestic violence and sexual assault.