We asked some YWCA staff members and past walkers:
What was a standout moment for you at a WALK A MILE event over the past 10 years?
“For me, it is just before all the participants start walking. As the planner, I have spent several months working out all the details; the bookings, the website, the people and finally everything comes together. Right before the first person steps onto the stage, there is a sort of quiet across Olympic Plaza, a silence in downtown Calgary with more than 500 people on hand to participate and watch. For a moment hundreds of strangers take a breath and are united in one cause and ready to step forward. That moment reaches into my soul and reminds me why we do it all. I love that moment…. and then it all goes crazy!”
Sarah Hughes, Special Events Officer, YWCA of Calgary
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“When we formed the Mini Club of Calgary, we knew that the car club would be non-competitive and have a community outreach aspect to it. We formed a team for YWCA WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES® in 2009 and this year will be our seventh walking and raising funds.
Our team has changed each year in size from as many as eight to as few as two. One year we were a two-man team, and we still wound up in second or third place for overall fundraising, so that was really a satisfying and standout moment, considering the small team make-up (and the economy that year).”
Ben Tsui, Mini Club of Calgary member/walker
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Sue Tomney with Harvey the Hound
This will be my fourth WALK A MILE since joining the YWCA in 2010, and I can hardly wait for my fifth! Two standout funny moments for me were, and are, when our boys in blue, the Calgary Police, enter their team of brave officers. Between the thoughtful shoe selection to match the red stripes on their uniforms, their facial expressions when they then put those shoes on and realize what they are in for, and the pure delight of their female colleagues cheering them on. It makes me proud to live in a city where our police officers go the extra mile to personally be connected to the issues faced in their community.
Oh, and my other favorite giggle? In 2013, when Harvey the Hound licked my shoulder… Man! That tickled!!!
Sue Tomney, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA of Calgary
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“My building operations team and I have been involved in the event since its inception a decade ago. We’ve volunteered to walk a number of years as YWCA representatives and always help with raising donations and supporting the event staff with the set up and tear down. I am Team Captain this year so this will probably be the most standout year for me. I am excited to walk with Team WAM to celebrate the 10 year milestone.”
John Peel, Superintendent, Building Operations, YWCA of Calgary/walker
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“The moment that has always stuck out for me occurred at my first WALK A MILE event in 2010. Chief Rick Hanson was the guest speaker and his message was powerful and memorable. He made it clear that men need to stand up and let their friends and colleagues know that domestic abuse is not acceptable, and we need to speak out when other men make “off colour” jokes about women or about the issue itself. Personally, I have had many friends and family members that have experienced domestic violence first hand, yet most people keep this serious issue behind closed doors. WALK A MILE creates awareness and public discussion which helps to change people’s mentalities.”
Shane Byciuk, blogger/walker
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Speaker and supporter Adam Frisch
“I remember in 2013, one of our supporters agreed to speak before the event in a radio interview as well as live during the event. He told the heartbreaking story of his sister’s murder by her ex-husband, which added some context to an event intended to raise funds to help end family violence. The story resonated with me, the walkers, and everyone listening from the sidelines: THIS is why we’re here, with the goal and the hope that tragedies like THAT never happen again.”
Hayley Gislason, Marketing Specialist, YWCA of Calgary
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