PORT TOWNSEND — About 55 people, many in high heels, participated in Wednesday’s seventh annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event.
The marchers, equally divided between men and women, walked the half-mile from the ferry terminal to the Cotton Building to raise awareness about domestic violence.
Many of them wore uncomfortable bright-red high heels to symbolize the pain domestic violence creates.
The Port Townsend march — which is sponsored by Dove House, an advocacy group and shelter located at 1045 10th St. — is part of a national campaign in which men wear women’s shoes to encourage empathy for domestic violence victims.
Participation down
This year’s participation was about half that of prior years.
The lower number didn’t discourage organizers.
“I just wonder if we have done this too many times and need to find some other way to raise awareness,” said Beulah Kingsolver, Dove House executive director.
“This has a ripple effect and the conversation will spread, and as long as young people are participating, I’m reaching them.”
Jeannie Ramsey, a volunteer who has organized previous marches, said there was less advertising and public relations this year and the sponsors “didn’t go to the groups we usually go to for support.”
Several elected officials participated. They included Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Stanko, Prosecuting Attorney Michael Haas and Port Townsend Police Chief Mike Evans.
“Domestic violence is an important issue,” Evans said, “especially [for] the secondary victims of domestic violence: the children.
“In many of these homes, there are kids who are not directly involved in an incident, but they are directly involved because they live there.”
Evans said “we have our share” of domestic violence in Port Townsend.
‘Cycle of violence’
Said Stanko: “The cycle of violence is still alive and well, and we are trying to break it.
“We want to get women — they are mostly women — and young children out of an abusive environment and into a safe environment.”
The cycle is hard to break, the sheriff added.
“It permeates every income level, every social strata, whether you are poor or rich or educated or not educated,” he said.
For more information, visit Dove House or call 360-385-5291, which is also the Dove House 24-hour crisis line.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
