'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes' steps off Saturday morning in Cornelia

CORNELIA – Want to catch a glimpse of area sheriffs and their administrators, police chiefs and officers, and the district attorney walking down the street in women’s high heels?

Be in Cornelia Saturday morning for Circle of Hope’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, an awareness walk from the Cornelia Post Office on Main Street to the Cornelia Depot on Clarkesville Street.

Circle of Hope offers shelter, support and advocacy for victims of domestic violence in Habersham, Stephens and White counties.

Walkers slated to participate in the 10 a.m. walk include Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell, Capt. Robin Krockum, and Sgt. Richard Stein; Rabun County Sheriff Frank Andrews, Chief Deputy John Crane, and Chief Investigator Gerald Johnson; Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brian Rickman; Clayton Police Department Assistant Chief Andy Strait; Habersham County Board of Education Police Chief Don Ford; Capt. Dennis Gallman of Lee Arrendale State Prison; and Chase Watson of WCHM Radio; among others.

The walk is part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed in October.

Registration/shoe fitting begins at 9 a.m., with the walk stepping off at 10 a.m.

Sponsors of the event include Hillside Memorial Chapel and Gardens, Thomas Gale – Pediatric Dentistry, North Georgia Medical Transport, Carr & Kiker, PEARLS Jr. Women’s Club of Rabun, El Patron, Jodi Mosher LCSW, Georgia Power Co., The Highsmith Law Firm, the family of Stephanie Haslup Hart, Morning Coffee with Lori Duke Jones, Habersham Voices with Hazel Cording, and Clarkesville Kiwanis Club.

Georgia is sixth in the nation for men killing women, Circle of Hope officials note.

“The Family Violence Task Force of the Mountain Judicial Circuit is proud to bring this even to Cornelia during Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” said Stephanie Tolbert, associate director of Circle of Hope. “As a community, it’s vital that we recognize that domestic violence is real, it’s plaguing our families, and we need our community’s support to remove the stigmas and barriers that victims face in seeking help. There are still so many victims who don’t reach out for assistance for a number of reasons, and we want to build a supportive community that makes it possible for those needing assistance to feel comfortable doing so.”

Even those who don’t plan to participate in the walk are encouraged to attend and show their support for victims of domestic violence.

Following the walk, those attending are invited to remain in Cornelia for the annual Big Red Apple Festival, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the downtown area.