PORT TOWNSEND — Walking a mile in her high-heeled shoes can be painful.
“It’s not easy to walk in these shoes,” said Michael Shively, a Port Townsend High School student, after Wednesday’s march — more of a totter for some — to raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault against women.
“But it gets the community to talk about something that’s really difficult,” Shively said.
“People who don’t know about sexual violence don’t want to know about it,” he said, “while those who have experienced it want to forget about it.”
About 200 people made their way down Water Street from Rotary Park to the Northwest Maritime Center as a part of the fourth annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” march, organized by Dove House Advocacy Services, a nonprofit domestic-violence treatment center in Port Townsend.
Participation was up from about 140 people last year, according to Jeannie Ramsey, volunteer coordinator with Dove House.
High heels were worn by many as a symbol of the discomfort felt by victims of domestic violence, with men putting on the ill-fitting shoes to feel some of that pain.
The walk was free, but donations were accepted.
Shively, 18, recruited fellow students to participate as part of his senior project, and more than 100 students from Port Townsend and Chimacum walked in the march.
They raised $712 of the $1,131 collected to support programs at Dove House.
“We need to take preventive action,” Shively told a crowd at the maritime center after the walk.
“People need to know they can get help, and the answer is the Dove House,” he added.
“Where can they get help?” he asked.
“The Dove House,” the crowd answered.
“That was terrible. Let’s do that again,” Shively said, and the response was three times louder.
Also addressing the crowd were Port Townsend Police Officer John Bick and Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez.
Hernandez showed photos of his children “as my own incentive to make sure this violence never happens.”
He spoke of a “silent epidemic.”
“One of the challenges we will encounter is to educate our community and our nation about this silent epidemic of violence against women,” said Hernandez.
The sheriff has spoken at the event each year since it began in 2010.
“All too often, the survivors are forced to suffer in silence,” Hernandez added.
“We must make sure there are adequate relationships between law enforcement and victim-service providers.
“With this, we can be better equipped for getting the survivors the help they need.”
The men who wore high heels got to choose from a pile supplied by Dove House, and the fit wasn’t always right.
Eric Rymer said “there were some issues” with the size 13 he wore.
He wished he could have found a size 12.
Brendon O’Shea, who has participated in all four events, said he has figured out ways to make high heels more comfortable.
“I wore two pair of socks and leaned while I was walking,” he said.
“I learned how to bunch up my toes to grip the bottom of the shoe so it ended up being more of a shuffle than a walk.”
For more information about Dove House, which is at 1045 10th St., phone 360-385-5292, email info@dovehousejc.org or visit www.dovehousejc.org.
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
