According to event organizer Jodi Petitpas, the annual Red Shoe Walk in Collingwood is a fun and light-hearted way to raise awareness about a very serious issue affecting the area’s smaller communities.
The goal is to raise awareness to eliminate gender based violence while raised much-needed funds for My Friend’s House, our local shelter for women and children who’ve suffered abuse.
“When people ask, I tell them the statistics,” Petitpas said. “Staff at My Friend’s House received over 3,500 crisis calls in 2022.”
That’s from a region with just over 100,000 people.
The numbers are even more staggering across the country. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, approximately every six days, a woman is killed by her intimate partner. And on any given night in Canada, over 6,000 women and children sleep in shelters because it isn’t safe for them at home.
“The numbers open a lot of eyes,” Petitpas said. “And when I think about those crisis calls to My Friend’s House, I wonder how many women don’t know about our services, how many women aren’t calling?”
My Friend’s House serves about 600 women and their children each year from the Georgian Triangle Region– 200 through the Shelter Program and the balance through its Outreach, Transition and Children’s Programs.
The Red Shoe Walk – participants are provided with red, high-heeled shoes before heading out on the downtown walking route – is held annually with the goal of raising money to operate the facility.
Last year, the event raised over $105,00 for the South Georgian Bay shelter. And this year, Petitpas said, planners would like to reach over $135,000, which goes a long way towards their yearly fundraising needs of about $750,000.
📆 Save the Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM
📍Location: NEW Event Space beside CIBC on Hurontario Street
“This year, we’re hosting something that's easy to access after being virtual for the last few years,” she said. “It’s one Saturday morning in September, the route is fairly quick, teams can show up together, get their shoes, walk the block, and have some great fun and enjoy the activities while they're down there. We’ll have a DJ to set the tone and some fun things to add as well!”
“We’ve made it an easy destination for people to come to.”
To get to that $135,000 mark, Petitpas said they opted to go to the traditional “walk format,” where participants sign up, collect pledges, and on September 23 meet at the new open event space downtown Collingwood. Along the route they’ll pass the infamous CWOOD sign and can stop for some photos..
Red shoes are available for walkers, but participants shouldn’t feel limited by the footwear, Petitpas said.
“Any type of red shoe is welcome,” she said. “Someone asked me the other day ‘could I just decorate my existing shoes?’ and I said ‘of course’. There's no real rules around it, though the pain of walking in heels is meant to be symbolic of the painful struggles women face when leaving violent situations. We know there is no real comparison.”
Last year, Petitpas said, a group of participants organized a pub crawl around the event, making sure they wore red high-heeled shoes during the walk portion of the day, but then slipped into some red Puma trainers before hitting the town.
“It's certainly flexible, but we've got shoes available, and there's no obligation for anyone to go and supply their own.”
And communities in the service area are already showing their own support.
“Wasaga Beach has stepped up in a big way and they're hosting their own kind of event,” Petitpas said. “It’s called the So Long, Summer Red Party on August 31. It’s a fundraising event for them to contribute to the Red Shoe walk and kind of kick off the month of fundraising.”
All proceeds from the So Long, Summer Red Party will be going towards My Friend’s House, Petitpas said.
My Friend’s House is encouraging teams to register NOW so they can get their fundraising started! They’ve had incredible support from the Town of Wasaga Beach as well, hosting a “So Long Summer Red Party” on August 31, with all proceeds going to the Red Shoe Walk.
For more information on registering for the event, or to sign up a team, visit the Red Shoe Walk registration page.
So why red shoes?
The Red Shoe Walk benefits more than just a single event – it supports programs and resources that are crucial for women and children in crisis situations who have limited options for safety and support.
“The colour red has always been symbolic of a call for action, something to pay attention to, and walking in the shoes themselves represents the strength that women have when they endure violence or abuse,” Petitpas said.
Although there’s really no comparison to these crisis situations, by giving participants a somewhat painful or uncomfortable situation in a light-hearted way, helps build empathy, Petitpas said.
“The heels are meant to represent something that not is not easy for anyone. So for men (and women and children … we welcome everyone to this event!) to walk in the shoes, it can remind them that a situation can be challenging, and can be a bit painful.”
Petitpas said she’s been working with some of the neighbouring communities to spread the word about the event. Wasaga Beach has stepped up in a big way, hosting their own Red Shoe Kick-off Event, The “So Long Summer Red Party” at the Beach Bar on August 31 where attendees will wear red and have the chance to win some great prizes. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. Their fire department is also supporting and we are encourage the fire departments in neighbouring communities to participate!
“It would be fun to get some friendly competition going between emergency services teams,” she said. “A big success would be to bring in a few of those teams from some of the surrounding townships that we serve (Wasaga Beach, Clearview, The Blue Mountains and Meaford), and have them really support us in the work we're doing with the women in their communities.”
With more community involvement, Petitpas said, more women could learn about the services that My Friend’s House provided, and give more options to women in need.
In addition to participating in events like the Red Shoe Walk, My Friend's House encourages everyone to join their email list and follow them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This ensures that supporters stay updated on all news and developments related to their mission.