Women's Refuge to hold 2nd annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes on April 4

On April 4, 2009 the Shasta Women's Refuge will host Redding's second annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes<0x00AE>, an international men's march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence.

It is a unique opportunity for men to educate the community about a very serious subject and to rally the community to take action to prevent sexualized violence, said event chair Dave Regnell.

Walk A Mile in Her Shoes<0x00AE> asks men to literally walk one mile in women's high-heeled shoes.

The event starts and ends at the north end of the mall in downtown Redding.

The walk is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. Each participant is encouraged to obtain at least $100 in donations.

Redding Police Chief Pete Hansen and countless other men from all facets of life will walk. Women and children are invited to participate and walk-on registrants are welcome. Proceeds from sponsored walkers support the Shasta Women's Refuge violence prevention efforts and rape crisis services in Shasta County.

Maggie John, Shasta Women's Refuge Executive Director, comments, "One in three women has experienced violence in her lifetime. A woman is raped every 90 seconds in America. That means someone you know, someone you care about has been the victim of sexual violence. This violence does not just affect women. The same violence that targets women also targets men. Rape isn't about sex, it's about power, control and violence."

We are looking for Walk A Mile in Her Shoes<0x00AE> sponsors and men who would like to participate in walking. For more information, visit the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes<0x00AE> national Web site: www.walkamileinhershoes.org. For further information, contact Regnell at 222-0202.