Guys try high heels for good cause

PERRY TOWNSHIP - With blood oozing through both his socks, Tim Myers finished his four laps and kicked off his two-inch red heels.

"I tried to run and it just pinched," the Perry ninth-grader said as he limped across the track.

Myers was among 70 Perry middle and high school male pupils to participate in the area's first Walk A Mile in Her Shoes. Several Perry staff and a few community men grabbed a pair of high heels, too.

The guys walked a mile, four laps, around the Perry High School track. A bell rang every nine seconds of the first lap, representing how once every nine seconds, a woman experiences some sort of violence.

"We are trying to show that men need to take an active role in violence prevention of women, and sexual assault and rape," said Donna Dickman, of the Partnership for Violence Free Families. She has been talking with seventh- through 12th-graders about these issues all school year, and she brought a stash of heels with her to Perry Friday.

Pupils, both boys and girls, had people sign their T-shirts and donate $1. They raised $6,100 for the Crossroads Crisis Center and the Partnership for Violence Free Families.

Seventh-grader Michael Wilson wore white boots with two-inch heels. He claimed the walk wasn't too tough but admitted to being a little tired. The hardest part, he said, was trying to stay steady.

"I stumbled about three times," he said. "I've learned that most girls' lives aren't that easy."

Despite the fancy and colorful shoes on display, the walk wasn't exactly pretty. Some limped along. Others grimaced with every step. One hit the ground for a brief moment. A few admitted to feeling the pain before even starting. Several tried to run, something girls watching said they would have known better.

"I was hurting," said eighth-grader Cody Inmon, who wore white heels. "I ran the first lap and after then, it started hurting pretty bad. I have a couple blisters already."

A few did try to put on a pretty face. Junior Drew Lane was among a few to wear a skirt and make-up for the event. A dangling necklace accented his attire.

"We had to go all out," he said. "This is for the women who get hit. That is not right. I would never put my hands on somebody."

Drew thought he fared pretty well on the track, saying he started to get used to it after awhile. He was glad to turn in his red pumps when he finished.

"I couldn't walk in high heels every day," he said.

Principal Nick Weingart put up a good Dorothy impression with his sparkly ruby red slippers. With all the fun, he reminded pupils of the seriousness of the issue before the walk began.

"It is absolutely wrong to hit a woman," he said.

Regardless of how ugly it may have been, a crowd, mainly of girls, cheered the guys on. The walkers did their best to stand up straight, strut their stuff and appear to look pain-free as they passed the girls.

Junior Sarah Ewing had a good time watching her classmates but thought they actually did pretty well.

"It's hard to walk in heels," she said. "It's been good for a few laughs. ... They look pretty good in heels."