Participants to Walk a Mile in High Heels (or any other type of shoe!) to benefit GBMC’s SAFE and Domestic Violence Programs
In support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, GBMC HealthCare, Inc., today announced it will host its third annual Walk A Mile In Her Shoes®: The International March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the GBMC campus in Towson, Md.
This powerful and collaborative event, hosted by the GBMC Foundation and presented by the GBMC Volunteer Auxiliary is an opportunity to educate the community on sexual assault and domestic violence against women. Male and female participants will walk a mile around GBMC’s campus in red high heels (or red Converse) to shed light on and show support for an extremely important issue for women and men of all ages.
“It has been extremely encouraging to hear the conversations around sexual assault and domestic abuse grow louder and louder in our world this year,” said Laura Clary, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, CPEN, Clinical Program Manager, SAFE. “By continuing to bring these issues into the light we are not only working to change the public’s attitudes towardthese behaviors, but also creating a safer environment for victims to come forward. We are proud that GBMC’s Walk a Mile event amplifies the need for support around this issue in our local community, and we hope it will only continue to help decrease the number of victims.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit GBMC’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) and Domestic Violence programs. Registered nurses in GBMC’s SAFE program are specifically trained and certified by the Maryland Board of Nursing to provide services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence of all ages in a confidential, non-judgmental atmosphere. At no cost to the patient, these nurses focus on re-empowering survivors to begin the healing process, in addition to working toward ending Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence in the community.
“GBMC is proud of our SAFE and Domestic Violence programs and we want to be a leader in our community by educatingmen, women and children of all ages about sexual violence through events like Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” said John Chessare, M.D., President and CEO of GBMC HealthCare System. “We encourage anyone and everyone to grab their friends and family and come out on April 21 to walk a mile for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and learn more about how our community can continue to help victims.”
The walk will beginat 9:30am on the GBMC campus at the South Chapman Building, with on-site registration beginning at 8:00am. Pre-race registration is available for$30 for general participants and $15 for students, who have a valid student email address or present a valid student id. All participants will receive a performance T-shirt and entrance into the pre-walk party.
Participants who raise or donate $200 by March 20thwill be displayed in the event program as a Red Shoe Participant, andwill receive a pair of complimentary red heels or red Converse sneakers to wear during the walk.
“GBMC’s SAFE Program provides a secure, confidential, non-judgmental environment where victims (men, women, people of all ages) can receive top-quality care in a private suite and be empowered to begin the healing process; it is a critical program that supports the health and wellness of our community,” said Dr. Fred Chan, Walk a Mile Event Chair & Chief Medical Information Officer at GBMC HealthCare System. “I am looking forward to seeing how the event grows this year and encourage everyone to come out and support an important cause while having a great time in bright red shoes!”
Participants can register as an individual or team at www.gbmc.org/walkamile before April 20, 2018; on-site registration will also be available beginning at 8:00 am on event day.Those registering as Red Shoe Participants must register and raise or donate $200 by March 20, 2018 to receive a pair of complementary shoes. Upon registering, they will have the opportunity to create their personal fundraising page.
For more information about the walk, sponsorships or volunteer opportunities, contact GBMC Philanthropy at 443-849-2773. For more information on the national organization, visit www.walkamileinhershoes.com
About GBMC HealthCare Inc.
GBMC HealthCare includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center, a 245-inpatient bed, acute care, not-for-profit hospital which opened in 1965; Greater Baltimore Medical Associates, a group of more than 40 multi-specialty physician practices on the hospital’s Towson campus and in off-campus locations across the region; Greater Baltimore Health Alliance, a network of employed and community-based clinician partners working collaboratively to provide better health and better care at a lower cost; Gilchrist, Maryland’s largest hospice organization offering in-home care, a 34-bed inpatient center on the GBMC Towson campus and a 10-bed inpatient center in Howard County; Gilchrist Center Baltimore; and the GBMC Foundation, which raises funds to support the organization’s mission. For more information, visit www.gbmc.org.
About GBMC Foundation
The mission of the Philanthropy Committee is to generate charitable funds in support of GBMC HealthCare. The Philanthropy Committee members along with the GBMC HealthCare and Gilchrist Hospice Care Board of Directors, have a responsibility in carrying out this mission – with the support of philanthropy staff – through annual appeals, fundraising events, major and planned gifts and capital campaigns. Together, we will seek gifts from grateful patients, families and friends of the GBMC HealthCare System, as well as corporate, foundation and government grants.
