This Cranbrook resident cannot be called a procrastinator.

Louie Cupello is helping out the Friends of Cranbrook Women’s Centre by urging friends and peers to take part in June’s Walk a Mile In Her Shoes event, now part of the annual Sam Steele Parade.

“I am hoping that some of you will walk in red high heels in the parade and challenge family members, friends, co-workers to walk as well. This will help raise much-needed funds for the Cranbrook Women’s Resource Centre,” Cupello said in a Jan. 26 email.

“This year we are also trying to get the business community involved via a corporate challenge among businesses. For example, auto dealerships challenging other auto dealerships, bars versus bars, hotels vs hotels, restaurants vs restaurants, musicians vs musicians, politicians vs politicians, sports teams vs sports teams, greenhouses vs greenhouses, law firms vs law firms, realtors vs realtors, banks vs banks and the list is endless,” Cupello outlined.

While the Walk a Mile march, which started in the Sam Steele Parade in 2012 and continued last year, with men wearing red high heels (and other related apparel as they see fit), to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence, ladies can also do their part, Cupello suggests.

“Obviously the men will be the ones walking and the women are good at persuading; so ladies, do your thing and get your man into a pair of red high heels for a great cause.”

The last two years has witnessed dozens of Cranbrook/Kimberley and area men clicking, scuffling, ankling, pigeon-toeing, ski-booting and grimacing (near the end of the 1.2 mile walk in the parade) in support of this most worthy cause.

The more men who stand up as mentors and supporters of this cause, the more men and boys will begin to realize that violence against women, or anyone, is unacceptable.

It takes courage and perseverance to accomplish all great things and the men who have dared to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes – to the man Jack – have commendably walked away wiser, many with blisters on their feet, and they can hold their heads high knowing they have helped initiate thought and discussion.

If you think you are man enough to Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and wish to help pushing the message of this great cause, give Louie Cupello a shout at [email protected] .

Sam Steele Days is five months away – plenty of time to sign up.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

Article Share