NEWS RELEASE
MY FRIEND’S HOUSE
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My Friend’s House annual awareness-raising event, the Red Shoe Walk, is back and better than ever.
In 2021, this signature event raised over $67,000 for the shelter that serves women and children in Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Clearview Township, Thornbury and Meaford and organizers have set a fundraising goal of $85,000 for 2022.
With a presenting sponsor in de Groot Wealth Management of RBC Dominion Securities, My Friend’s House is thrilled to add in corporate support and has secured many local sponsors to join for the first time.
“We’re thrilled with our new partnership with de Groot Wealth Management of RBC Dominion Securities and are also excited to welcome Alair Homes, Tatham Engineering, Huronia Alarms, Living Water Resorts, Baker Tilly and Press Market to our sponsorship roster this year,” event manager for the Red Shoe Walk, Jodi Petitpas, shared.
Step out with a pair of red heels that symbolize your commitment to end violence against women, girls, and people of all genders, and walk with your own team when you’re able. Participants can walk any time during the month of September and share their experience on social media using #RedShoeWalk, thus showing their support for ending gender-based violence.
With this year’s walk taking place virtually again through the month of September, participants will be able to take stride and complete their walk anywhere they choose. Teams are even golfing, biking and pub crawling, so creativity in participation is encouraged.
Throughout the pandemic, My Friend’s House has seen the heightened inequities women are facing from increased rates of domestic abuse to sexual violence and harassment within and outside the home. Calls to our trauma line have increased by 40 per cent and the need for our services is growing with the rapid growth of our community. The 24/7 crisis line took over 3,000 calls last year.
“We’re challenging last year’s participants to join us again and bring a friend so we can share this amazing cause with even more of our community. If we can increase both participants and sponsors from the great momentum that was created in 2021, we are sure to make an incredible ‘stride forward’ in funds raised for 2022. We’re feeling excited about the impact we’ll make with this year’s event on the invaluable work at My Friend’s House,” said Cam Ubell, Red Shoe Walk community ambassador.
My Friend’s House’s goal is to attract more than 100 participants to walk in solidarity for women and their children, while raising awareness and funds to end violence, promote equality, and healthy relationships. It’s a momentous occasion for men to make a statement that violence against women and girls is not only a women’s issue — it’s everyone’s issue, and it will only be solved by everyone working together. Women are encouraged to participate as well.
Participants can register online at www.myfriendshouse.ca and will be invited to gather for a thank-you event on Sept. 29 at Side Launch Brewery to acknowledge all the teams and sponsors and celebrate surpassing our fundraising goal with food, drink and prizes. Bring on your friends, colleagues, and family members and walk your neighborhoods or workspaces and add your voice to this important cause. You’ll be able to show your allyship online through social media tagging @MyFriendsHouseCollingwood and using the hashtag #RedShoeWalk.
About My Friend’s House
My Friend’s House is a non-profit agency offering support for abused women and children living in the Georgian Triangle of Ontario. Since opening in 1991, My Friend’s House has helped thousands of women get the safety and support they need to rebuild their lives.
We serve 600 women and their children each year — 200 through our shelter program and the balance through our outreach, transition and children’s programs.
Our free, confidential services are available to all women and their children across the Georgian Triangle — from Wasaga Beach and Collingwood to Creemore and Meaford and all parts in between.
“For the first time in years, I had a decent night’s sleep. Finally, we didn’t have to worry about the ranting and raging and violent abuse from my husband.”
My Friend’s House must raise over $700,000 this year to provide programs and shelter to women fleeing domestic abuse in our community.
For more information, please contact event manager Jodi Petitpas at [email protected].
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