by Katie Hill
York Suburban’s integrated science and astronomy teacher Steven Whiteley will be participating in the YWCA Walk a Mile in her Shoes event on Nov. 6 in downtown York.
Whiteley will be walking a mile around York City, beginning and ending at LSC Design. While this task may not seem difficult, there’s a catch. He will be walking the entire mile in a pair of high heels.
The proceeds gained by Whiteley and his team, Hell on Heels, will be donated to the YWCA located on East Market Street and from there, given to domestic violence shelters. “People don’t think about all of the little things like security programs to keep these victims and their families safe. This is what the funding goes to, this is why I’m doing it,” said Whiteley.
Although this is Whiteley’s first year participating, Walk a Mile in her Shoes has been going on for a few years now. On the day of the walk, Whiteley will be joined by five other men on his team whose goal was to raise $1,500; instead they were able to surpass this and currently have raised $2,800.
Currently, Hell on Heels is ranked number 5 on the top teams charts for raising money and awareness. The overall York County goal is to raise $100,000. So far, with eleven days to spare, they have raised $66, 921.
The walk itself will begin at 5:30 pm on Nov. 6. Men across York County will wear their heels to spread awareness of domestic violence. Whiteley is looking forward to seeing the “goofy” men strut their stuff downtown. “I hope to not twist my ankle! I have some shoes my wife bought specially at DSW for me to practice in,” said Whiteley.
“It’s just going to be fun. I think everyone’s goal is to at least raise awareness. It’s as much about getting the word out than raising the money,” said Whiteley.
Donations can be made to the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser through www.ywcayork.org under the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes tab.