Delta Tau Delta pledge Carlos Cuevas wore 4-inch, black-tipped white high heels that he described as “cute wine mom shoes” during Sunday’s “Walk a Mile,” an event that the Alpha Kappa UO Chapter of the Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) sorority hosted to spread awareness about domestic violence.
“I look good. I feel good,” Cuevas said, “I’ve never walked in heels before, but I’m ready.”
During Walk a Mile, participants walk a mile in high heels to raise awareness of domestic violence.
At the UO, the one-mile walk began at the EMU amphitheater and ended at the AXO Mansion.
The proceeds from the event are being donated to Womenspace, a Eugene-based nonprofit that provides support services for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

When the UO AXO chapter started hosting this event four years ago, only about fifty people attended. This year, 500 tickets were sold, according to AXO Vice President of Philanthropy Hannah Miller.
“We did make wearing the heels optional,” said Miller, who added that AXO wanted to attract as many people as possible, even if they didn’t wear high-heels.
“But it seemed as though people wanted to wear them,” Miller said. “It wasn’t just closed off to fraternity and sorority life here on campus. We opened it up to the community.”
Members from fraternities such as Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Tau Delta and Sigma Nu attended the event.
“It’s a really great way to make something that’s so invisible in a community visible and to support survivors,” said senior Mandy Desmarais, who added that she has been coming to the event since her freshman year.
“I’m so excited because it’s a cause that I really believe in,” Desmarais said.
 

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Sarah Northrop

(Sarah Northrop/Emerald)