POUGHKEEPSIE – Family Services is seeking Walking Teams for their 9th Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes® event taking place on Friday, October 4th as the centerpiece of October’s First Friday Poughkeepsie Celebration. Family Services invites individuals, families, students, senior citizens, church groups, clubs, sports teams, community organizations and businesses of all kinds to join as walkers and sponsors to stand against sexual violence and domestic abuse. The family-friendly Walk will gather at 5:00pm at the corner of Dongan Place and Mill Street in Poughkeepsie, with step off at 5:30p.m.
“The funds raised will stay right here in the Hudson Valley and enable Family Services to continue to deliver many crucial services,” said Brian Doyle, CEO of Family Services. “Just last year, our Center for Victim Safety and Support provided counseling, 24 hour hotline support, advocacy and accompaniment to over 3,000 survivors in our community and provided violence prevention education to thousands of students and educators throughout the Hudson Valley.” Support for Family Services and this event come from generous individual donations and sponsorships from many Hudson Valley businesses including Nuvance Health, Now 97.7, the Poughkeepsie Galleria, Drake Creative, Turk Hospitality Group, Prime Health Choice , Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Southern Dutchess News, and the R.L. Baxter Building Corporation.
While the subject matter is serious, the event is filled with a positive community vibe. Event Co-Chairs Mike Davis and Corey Whitted, the Walk A Mile committee, and First Friday are creating a safe, inclusive, uplifting event with games and activities for children, face painting with artists from The Art Effect, a prize wheel, an online silent auction and lots of music and dancing. Many men will honor the tradition of the original international event in 2001 and wear high heels for their Walk, but high heels are not a requirement. Walkers are welcomed to wear any kind of shoes, sneakers, boots or sandals.
“Wear any shoes that get you here,“ said Davis. “It’s all about reflecting our diverse community and standing together against sexual and domestic violence.”
“Combining Walk A Mile with First Friday Poughkeepsie will bring thousands together,” added Whitted. “The after-Walk activities are right in the middle of the action. And, it’s the San Gennaro Festival too! This is a night you don’t want to miss and it’s all for a good cause.”
Registration for Walk a Mile is free and can be done on site, but walkers are encouraged to pre-register and help to raise funds by having their walk sponsored by family, friends, and local businesses. To register in advance and start your team, go to www.familyservicesny.org and click on the Walk A Mile banner or click on Events.
“It’s an ideal environment to teach your children about being a part of their community, creating social change and how to help a friend,” says Whitney Humphrey, Development Director at Family Services. “We will have resources, literature and experts on hand to provide information on how to talk with your children about these issues in our community.”
For more information on the event or Sponsorship opportunities, please call 845-452-1110 ext. 3116 or visit www.familyservicesny.org.
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Walden_Savings_Bank1.gif")
![](https://hudsonvalleypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FDR-Web.jpg")
