by Samantha Perera, Staff writer
Staff photo by Alisha Loyd
Local men dressed up in high, red heels gathered at the Durant Market Square to educate the community on taking a stand against sexual violence and assault on Saturday, April 9.
The event was organized by the Crisis Control Center of Durant, said Anna Marcy, an advocate for the CCC. There were two purposes for the event, she added.
The CCC needed a fundraiser event, and it was also a good time to raise community awareness on an important and often overlooked crime, said Marcy. She also said that, as the saying goes, “You can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”
The event was to bring a community together to stand against sexual violence and show the victims and survivors of this crime that the community is not going to stand for it anymore, said Marcy.
“We chose this month, as did many other centers in Oklahoma, because it is Sexual Assualt Awareness Month,” said Marcy. She went on to say that the event was supported by The Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
This was the first time such an event had been organized in Durant. “We borrowed the idea from the international walk called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” said Marcy. It is an international event that is trademarked, and using the logo for that organization requires a fee, she said.
The Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault put forward the idea that each community could organize its own event and call it Kick Up Your Heels, rather than Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, according to Marcy.
Marcy also stated that other communities in Oklahoma will also be hosting their Sexual Assault Awareness Month walks, such as Idabel, Ponca City, Oklahoma City and many others.
The event began with a few words from Marcy and several other officials. Dustin Roberts, state representative for Oklahoma, attended the event. Roberts said he thought this event was outstanding and, “if we can stop two or three people from committing domestic violence it’s well worth the effort.”
Roberts wore size 12 red heels throughout the entire event.
There were several individuals representing law enforcement in high heels, said Marcy. Officers from Calera, Colbert and the Choctaw Nation Law Enforcement were present. Marcy also said that there were several agencies represented who were not in high heels, such as Carrie Wyrick from Durant, Trooper Keeling from the Highway Patrol and T.J. White from Calera.
Calera Chief of Police Don Hyde gave a shout out to the members of law enforcement represented at the event and thanked Roberts for “coming up and standing up for what’s right.” Hyde went on to say that it takes people who want to listen to be educated on these types of problems.
The CCC had placed teal ribbons in the market square, 24 big ribbons and 36 smaller ribbons. “The 24 big ribbons represent the 24 reported sexual assaults in Bryan County in 2009,” said Marcy.
According to statistics, said Marcy, only 40 percent of assaults are reported to the police, so “for the 24 that were reported there are 36 victims of sexual assault that did not seek help.” The CCC had placed the 36 little ribbons to represent those unreported cases, said Marcy.
Unfortunately, there were not many SE students present at the event, said Marcy. “I would have loved to have some SE spirit there and have the opportunity to share the message of stomping out sexual violence with them,” said Marcy. “I always enjoy the opportunity to share information about sexual assault on campus to those who are students or who work with students.”
Three SE students were part of the team at the CCC that helped in the organization of this event. Kayli Summers, Raelynn Beaty and Amy Davis are currently interning at the crisis control center as part of their major in psychology.
“Domestic violence seems to be around almost everywhere,” said Davis, “I was delighted to have helped work on an event that promotes awareness about sensitive issues.”
This was the first annual Kick Up Your Heels event in Durant, said Marcy, and though not many Durant law enforcement officials were present, she said, “I can almost guarantee you, however, that next year’s event will have a team representation from the Durant P.D. and fire department.”
“We love our local law enforcement and fire fighters and understand that they are asked to do all manner of public events and fundraisers,” said Marcy. “We are very blessed as a community that our public servants help in as many ways as they do.”