Gents, get pumped!

“Floored.” This is how Alison FitzGerald felt after the first Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in Collingwood last year. “I was floored at the amount of interest and support the community showed,” she explained.

The event raised $30,000 for Collingwood women’s shelter, My Friend’s House.

On Saturday, October 5, FitzGerald, the shelter’s executive director, is hoping that the “men in heels” will raise even more.

My Friend’s House is Southern Georgian Bay’s only shelter and support program for women and their children escaping violence and abuse.

Each year, the shelter must raise $175,000 to maintain its existing services. All proceeds from the walk go directly to the shelter.

“It’s a fun way to talk about a difficult issue,” FitzGerald said. “Since My Friend’s House started engaging men in the conversation about violence against women, it has seen a growth in the third-party and volunteer support men have offered.”

Rumour has it that even Santa Claus has been practicing walking in heels since his début at the event last year.

Anyone who is interested in walking, volunteering, sponsoring or pledging can visit www.inherheels.ca.