While this year’s Men in Heels race will look a little different than previous years the mission remains the same.
All the proceeds of the event go to supporting Hilltop’s Latimer House and Domestic Violence Services. The mission of the Latimer House is to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in the community.
“We really rely on donations for the Latimer House operations and to provide services,” Hilltop Special Events Coordinator Paige Cadman said.
Last year the event raised $33,000 for the Latimer House. Donations go directly to supporting women, children and men affected by domestic violence and sexual assault, supporting the emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis lines, advocacy services, traditional housing and more.
“We’re on track to beat that this year, but we won’t know who won until October 1,” she added.
The event not only raises money for the organization but raises awareness for the work Latimer House does.
“We’ve definitely seen an uptick in people reaching out for services,” Cadman said. “It is a need in the community.”
Leslie Sparks with the Latimer House said the COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunities for people and families to reach out for services in new ways.
"We have just seen a tremendous increase in website reports," she said. "I think it was a safer way for people stuck at home with partners to reach out."
Men and women reach out to the Latimer House online, creating a open line of communication.
"They check a box as to whether they want us to reach back out or not and they tell us their situation and need. Some wanted rent money and others needed help relocating or leaving a bad situation," Sparks explained.
Still, with families stuck at home due to the virus , the pandemic created new concerns for Sparks.
"What we really saw was an increase in the intensity of the crime," she said. "Domestic violence incidents being more violent, which was really hard. I think we are starting to get to a pre-pandemic point."
For Sparks, the Men in Heels race is more than just a fundraising opportunity.
"Its' one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for us, but we also rely on it for advertising to get the word out," she said. "It's an avenue to get it out there what the Latimer House provides to the community. We always see an uptick in crisis calls after the event."
At the end of July, Cadman said the Latimer House had seen a down turn in fundraising during the pandemic as several fundraising events had either been canceled or diminished due to COVID.
Organizers and members of the community who are participating are just happy to be able to run again this year.
Runners won’t have the roar of the crowd to encourage them for today's run, but now in its eleventh year, the Men in Heels race benefits from having built up recognition as an annual event for the community in what has been a tough fundraising year for most organizations.
“I was talking to one sponsor who was very excited and admitted there just hasn’t been a lot going on,” Cadman admitted. “We’ve seen a great outpouring of support from businesses in the community that are excited to give and to have an event to give to.”
In the past, Cadman estimated crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 people to come out to see the race.
“That’s just too big of a crowd this year. We want to do it and be safe and have fun,” she said.
The race has become an event that businesses around the valley have circled in their calendars every fall.
Teams this year include: 21st Judicial DA's Office, Academy Mortgage, CareFlight of the Rockies, Church of the Nativity, CMU Rodeo Team, FCI Constructors, GJ Housing Authority, Grand Junction Regional Airport, Hilltop Community Resources, The Joseph Center, Justice League of Hope, Mesa County Sheriff's Office, St Matthew's Episcopal Church, and TownSquare Media.
The Link LonkSeptember 24, 2020 at 01:15PM
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Popular high heel race still on this year with no crowd - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
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High Heels
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