Just wearing toe-pinching pumps out to a party may be enough torture for some. But for those looking to take a serious step toward fighting breast cancer, running 100 yards in high heels is the way to go.
Hundreds of advocates in Austin, Texas –- both male and female –- slipped into some serious stilettos on Saturday to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research, Reuters reports. Now in its third year, the “Stiletto Stampede” aims to collect money for charity and to educate those under 40 about the importance of getting screened and performing regular breast exams, according to the organization’s website.
"I come to support,” one racer told Reuters. “My aunt passed away a few years ago from breast cancer, so this is one way of contributing back to hopefully finding a cure and just supporting all those who do have it, who can survive from it."
Trotting around in sky-high heels is popular among those looking to make a difference.
Last March, more than 50 members of a fraternity at Western Kentucky University put on five-inch red heels and trekked a mile around campus to draw attention to violence against women, WBKO reports.
Altogether, the group helped raise $1,000 for Hope Harbor, a nonprofit that offers counseling to victims of sexual assault.
"Instead of just saying oh yeah, we'll support them or something,” John Sanders, a Student Activities graduate assistant, told WBKO, “we're actually showing a physical movement that you know, we will stand up and fight for our women.”
Click through the slideshow to below to learn five ways you can make a meaningful difference during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
