LAKELAND – In November, Town of Bonnyville Coun. David Sharun fundraised and participated in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes men's march against violence, organized by Stepping Stones Crisis Society in Cold Lake.
Through the initiative, male participants fundraised before stepping into a pair of red high heels to walk a mile for charity.
With staff members, colleagues, and friends cheering him on and walking alongside him, Sharun – who ended up being the top fundraiser - could not say enough about how impactful the experience was.
As soon as participants walked into the room during the event, Sharun said they were made to feel welcomed and supported.
“All of a sudden you were just part of this big family that you didn’t even know of. It was very touching,” said Sharun.
The event was held at the Cold Lake Energy Centre on Nov. 9, and raised over $10,000 for the Stepping Stones Crisis Society. Sharun was the top pledge earner bringing in $1,930.
Sharun has been a part of many fundraisers and events over the years, though this was his first experience really taking on a central role.
Sharun commented that attending galas, bidding on fundraiser auctions, and showing up to support fundraiser events are such wonderful ways to support the community, but actually stepping up to not only actively fundraise, but to put on a pair of high heels and participate in the walk-a-mile event was a “deeply moving” experience that brought the cause into focus.
“I had known about the cause before, but it didn’t have the same impact on me like it did when I participated in this walk. And that simply came from all the people that messaged me in support, and some of the strangers who sent me messages telling me where they were five years ago, and where they are today, saying they don’t know where they’d be without the [Stepping Stone] program,” said Sharun.
He commented on how those stories “really touched home” for him and made the whole fundraising and event experience unlike any other fundraiser he had participated in before.
“It just made everything real. It wasn’t just a walk for fundraising, it wasn’t just publicity – It actually hit home – those stories really hit home,” said Sharun.
When asked how he initially got involved with the event, Sharun said it was fellow Coun. Kayla Blanchette who first mentioned it to him.
“I told her I would do it, but I needed help with the fundraising. I wanted to do it right . . . She was my campaign manager, and she ran with it . . . So I've got to thank her for that,” said Sharun.
Something that surprised Sharun was the amount of people who responded to his fundraising campaign and chipped in.
“I ended up getting donations from cousins that I haven’t heard from in a long time, from all across Western Canada. I was amazed that they would support me – and it wasn’t about the amount of money, it was their messages that they sent. All to support such a great cause,” said Sharun.
When asked about his experience stepping into the red high heels, Sharun said the company of his fellow participants, event staff, and supporters outshined the discomfort of the heels.
“For me, it went so quickly, as I befriended [fellow participant] Curtis Hargrove . . . I just ended up clicking with him and we walked together and talked about everything . . . The 10 laps went too quickly,” said Sharun.
Hargrove recently ran the Chicago Marathon in a pair of red high heels - also in support of the Stepping Stones Crisis Society.
“I thought, OK he’s done all this, I can certainly do 10 laps. So, he gave me a lot of inspiration,” said Sharun.
The walk-a-mile event was such a positive experience for Sharun, he says he can see himself participating in events like this in the future and encourages anyone who is considering getting involved in fundraising events, to take the leap.
“One hundred per cent go for it. We’ve got all these incredible causes, and [participating in events like this] brings out another dimension in what the cause is all about,” said Sharun.
