Participants to walk one mile or more in support of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and log their completion of the walk.
In support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, GBMC HealthCare announced it will host the 6th annual Walk a Mile in Their Shoes as a virtual event from now through Saturday, April 17, 2021. The event will benefit GBMC’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) and Domestic Violence (DV) Program, which offers services at no cost to anyone throughout the region. Participants will walk at least one mile and log their journey online to shed light on this crucially important issue for people of all ages and genders, one which does not stop during a pandemic. In 2020 alone, GBMC’s SAFE & DV Program treated 641 patients, of which 94 were children. GBMC will host this year’s event with the goal of reaching a combined total of 2,891 miles to represent the 2,891 patients who received help from the SAFE & DV Program in the last five years.
This powerful and collaborative event, hosted by the GBMC Philanthropy team, is an opportunity to educate the community about sexual assault and domestic violence. One American is sexually assaulted every 73 seconds, according to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), and every nine minutes that victim is a child. Further, one in three women and one in six men in the U.S. have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. To combat these abominable statistics, GBMC HealthCare is encouraging individuals to participate in order to spread awareness of the severity of sexual assault.
“To be one of the people that helps victims of sexual assault regain control of their lives is what gives meaning to my work every day,” said Laura Clary, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, CPEN, clinical program manager of GBMC’s SAFE & DV Program.
All donations and registration fees from the event will go to benefit GBMC’s SAFE & DV Program. Registered nurses in the SAFE & DV Program are specifically trained and certified by the Maryland Board of Nursing to provide services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in a confidential, non-judgmental atmosphere. In addition, the program's victim advocates assist with crisis counseling, emotional grounding, safety planning and danger assessment, as well as providing referrals for counseling/legal/shelter services within the community.
“As we navigate through the unprecedented challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic poses, those who face sexual abuse and intimate partner violence face even greater risks, often due to being quarantined with an abuser,” said Fred Chan, MD, Walk a Mile event chair and chief medical information officer at GBMC. “Our Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event has continued to grow over the past five years and we are excited to see the turnout and support from the community as we host our sixth event this year.”
Participants will be asked to walk or run one mile or more, anytime until 11:59 p.m. on April 17, take a photo or 10-15 second video of themselves walking, and post to social media using #GBMCWalkaMile and @GBMCMedia or email the photo or video to socialmedia@gbmc.org. Participants can then submit an online form documenting their participation. For those who register as a Supporter ($200 donation), Advocate ($400 donation) or Champion ($600 donation), an event t-shirt will be mailed out following the event. In addition, these high-level donors will receive a canvas tote, rolling cooler, or both, respectively.
For more information about the walk, sponsorships or volunteer opportunities, contact Morgan Varley, associate director of annual fund and special events at 443-849-2120.
About GBMC HealthCare
The 342-bed, not-for-profit medical center (acute and sub-acute care) is located on a beautiful suburban campus and handles more than 23,000 admissions and over 52,000 emergency room visits annually. Since its founding in 1965, GBMC HealthCare’s accomplishments have validated the vision of GBMC’s founders to combine the best of community and medicine. GBMC's main campus also includes three medical office buildings — Physicians Pavilion East, Physicians Pavilion West and the William E. Kahlert Physicians Pavilion North. In addition to its main campus located in Towson, GBMC Health Partners primary care practices can be found throughout the community with extended and weekend hours in convenient locations including Hunt Manor, Hunt Valley, Owings Mills, Texas Station, Perry Hall, Joppa Road and Jarrettsville. Gilchrist provides medical care, counseling and support to patients and their families at every stage of serious illness, even well before hospice is needed. Gilchrist serves more than 7,600 patients each year—in homes, residential care communities and other medical settings, and at our three inpatient hospice centers in Towson, Howard County and Baltimore. In addition, Gilchrist provides grief counseling and other bereavement services to 6,500 families throughout Central Maryland.
About GBMC Foundation
The mission of the Foundation is to generate charitable funds in support of GBMC HealthCare. The Philanthropy Committee members along with the GBMC HealthCare and Gilchrist 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 GBMC HealthCare, as well as corporate, foundation and government grants.
