Didn't know the "official" numbers until this morning. Ended up with about 100 walkers. Here's the story from the Lubbock AJ. For more pics use the link.
Lubbock men take a 'Walk In Her Shoes' to benefit crisis center
By Eric Finley | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Story last updated at 4/6/2008 - 2:35 am
I have big feet because of my dad, whose feet were huge too.
The day I was born, I laid in the nursery with my foot propped up on the side of the crib. "There's no denying that one, Tom," my grandfather told my old man, "Look at that foot."
So my only concern before deciding to "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" was the actual size of her shoes. Good causes are good - but not at the expense of my feet.
Of course, discomfort is relative.
It's nothing compared with the pain caused by sexual assault. A blister or two on Saturday was a gentle reminder of that tragedy as Lubbock men donned high heels to march four laps around the Lubbock County Courthouse.
It was the city's first Walk in Her Shoes event, an international campaign sponsored locally by the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center to raise money for the center and awareness of sexual assault.
Turns out Lubbock needs the discussion. There were 362 reports of assault in the region in 2007, 40 percent against children under the age of 17. In the past week, the crisis center responded to 15 cases, Executive Director Kim Stark said.
The walk "is a light-hearted way to talk about a serious issue," she said.
It drew about 100 men. There were old men with arthritic knees, young men with their girlfriends, and a guy on crutches who could have sold them for $100 by the time the walk was over.
Lubbock High School coach Mike Speck brought 19 of his football players, one of several community service projects the coach encourages his players to do.
"This topic is particularly important for them, with those hormones raging," he said.
Since they were Lubbock High Gold, I gave Speck my size 15 heels (which he couldn't wear either) for a pair of size 14 Cherry Reds with straps that felt a little more snug.
Soon, we started walking.
The first man down was Jim McCutchin, owner of McCutchin Construction in Levelland. He had the genius idea of walking halfway around the courthouse and finding a bench.
I spent a lap sitting and talking high heels and sore feet with McCutchin before I moved on to the north side of the courthouse. There I met Jericka Parker, a nice young lady from Smiley Wilson Middle School who, best of all, was sitting down. Jericka was volunteering with other National Honor Society students from Wilson.
How many laps did I do? I'm not saying - but it felt like four. It wasn't the size of the shoe that hurt so much, but the way it smashed my toes.
It wasn't a race, though a lot of people were trying to win. One of the first across the line was Lubbock Mayor David Miller, who ran most of the mile because he said it hurt less than walking.
"I'm not answering that," he said when asked how it felt to be the city's Male High Heel Walking Champion, "because you'll put it in the paper."
Come on, Mayor. At least it's for a good cause.
To comment on this story:
eric.finley@lubbockonline.com 766-8725
james.gallagher@lubbockonline.com 766-8706
