Walk a Mile in Their Shoes returns

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After a two-year hiatus, the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes fundraiser will return to San Benito County on Oct. 10.

When participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, Emmaus House and Community Solutions paused the event after 2023, but they’re now ready to bring it back. 

It will start and finish at the Veterans Memorial Building and feature hundreds of participants, including men walking in high heels to raise awareness about domestic violence. The fundraiser aims to bring awareness to gender-based violence and the resources Emmaus House and Community Solutions provide to San Benito County residents. 

Patrice Kuerschner, executive director of Emmaus House, said the event is intended to be “light-hearted” and family-oriented.

“The goal is to have a good time, but to also recognize that violence and abuse affects every member in society,” Kuerschner said. “It’s not isolated to just women, it affects men, seniors and infants. We just want the community to know that there are services available to support you and assist you to move on or out of a bad situation.”

Kuerschner has led Emmaus House since 2010. She was encouraged to apply by a friend who served on the board of directors at Chamberlain’s Youth Services.

“I had never been involved in nonprofit work before but I really found it to be apparently something that I was looking for most of my life,” Kuerschner said.

She said she lost her brother to teen dating violence in 1983 and a friend to domestic violence two years later.

“I felt there was a calling that I needed to participate in it, so I’ve been doing it ever since,” Kuerschner said.

According to the California Department of Justice, San Benito County received 244 calls related to domestic violence in 2025. The data showed that a weapon was involved in 238 of those calls.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds and that an average of 20 people are physically abused by intimate partners every minute.

Emmaus House is the only temporary emergency shelter for domestic violence and sexual assault victims in San Benito County, Kuerschner said. 

Proceeds from Walk a Mile in Their Shoes will help fund operations for Emmaus House and Community Solutions. Funds will enable the organizations to be open every day and provide programs and services, including emergency shelter, a 24-hour emergency hotline, sexual assault crisis response, individual and group counseling, medical advocacy, safety planning, financial literacy, employment and housing assistance, legal help and children’s art therapy.

“Hollister is growing exponentially,” Kuerschner said. “We have a whole lot of new people in the area, and Community Solutions and Emmaus House want the new members of the community to know that we have these services for those in need.”

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes invites members of the San Benito County community to walk through downtown Hollister wearing high-heeled shoes. High heels will be provided to participants before the event, but participants are encouraged to bring their own if they have something that fits better or is more comfortable.

“We do have several pairs of shoes,” Kuerschner said. “I know men always say we don’t have something in their size and that’s not true. We have men’s 16s, so nobody has an excuse not to be able to participate and not everything is heeled; we have flats.”

Kuerschner said the Hollister Fire Department and San Benito County Sheriff’s Office participate each year. She said her goal is to attract more healthcare personnel and members of the Hollister Police Department.

Kuerschner said local Girl Scout troops also participate each year by placing two different colored ribbons representing statistics about women assaulted every nine seconds and people physically abused every minute.

Kuerschner’s husband, Doug, has participated every year since the event’s inception in 2013. 

“I do it, not just because my wife is the director, but I think it’s necessary to bring awareness to domestic violence and the abuse of women,” Doug Kuerschner said.

He said his most memorable part of the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes is getting the heels off his feet once the walk is finished.

“I have been known to almost always finish first and Patrice always says it’s not a race, but to me it’s a race to get the shoes off,” he said.

Community members can also volunteer to assist at stations throughout the course, including registration, the shoe corral, the children’s area, plus setup and cleanup.

“I love seeing our community come out and support this event,” Kuerschner said. “You don’t see anybody that doesn’t have a smile on their face.”

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes takes place Oct. 10. Check-in begins at 10 a.m., and the walk begins at 11. Visit Walk a Mile Event to register or learn more.

The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.