Life

Men in heels turn downtown into main drag

Men of Mountain 1st Bank model their heels.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 12, 2012

Dozens of men of all shapes and sizes squeezed into red high heels, wobbled to their feet and made their way down Main Street Friday evening during the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, a fundraiser for Mainstay, a shelter for women and children.

The men got sponsors and raised money for the privilege of walking five blocks on the main drag downtown. Some wore makeup and flowing dresses, others just the shoes, but all seem to have fun and there was no sign of injury to anything but manly pride and tender ankles.
"I think it's great," said Tanya Blackford, executive director of Mainstay. "We've had a great turnout, there are lots of new people, we've had great support from law enforcement. All of the people that have always supported us are here, G.E., Selee."
The money raised goes to the emergency shelter Mainstay runs for women and their children threatened and sometimes made homeless by domestic violence.
"The sad part is today we took in six, seven, eight, nine people in the shelter, including eight new children," she said. That emphasizes the need, she said, "especially if we want to keep adding new services to help people become self-sufficient and independent."