Craig Youdale, Dean of Culinary Tourism and Beverage at Niagara College, takes his role as one of six 2024 Walk A Mile in HER Shoes ambassadors seriously.
With the college being among the larger employers in the Niagara region, Youdale’s role as one of the faces of the walk to end intimate partner violence is a meaningful one.
“It’s certainly about raising money but it’s just as much about raising awareness and getting more people involved,” Youdale said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a little sobering as an ambassador, too, when you delve into the number of calls they receive and the people they help. It makes you realize how much need is out there for their services.”
The Niagara Region declared intimate partner violence an epidemic last year due to the steadily increasing rates of domestic homicides (femicide). Since the last Walk a Mile in HER Shoes, over 54 femicides have occurred in the province, including seven in Niagara since November 2022.
As an ambassador, Youdale was invited for a tour of the shelter this month. What stuck in his mind was the fact they received more than 6,000 calls through the Gillian’s Place crisis centre in the past year. That equates to about 30 per day.
Working at a post-secondary institution, it’s not lost on Youdale how important the issue of campus safety continues to be.
“I’m surrounded by thousands of students every year,” he said. “About half of our 12,000 students are female. With the possibility of gender-related issues happening on campus it’s important to bring attention to this. It connects to every single person who works here and studies here. It’s an uncomfortable conversation but it needs to be had.”
As dean of his department, Youdale has worked with Gillian’s Place in the past by providing food, organizing a pancake breakfast and arranging for chefs on his staff to prepare Christmas dinners at the shelter.
But Saturday, Oct. 19 will be the first time for the 6’6” Youdale to actually slip into a pair of heels to participate in the walk that aims to raise $125,000 for the Niagara Street shelter that is currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion.
“I have secretly always wanted to be seven feet tall,” Youdale laughed, “so this is my chance.”
As of press time the Niagara College Walk Stars team had raised pledges totalling $1,450.
Says Graeme Dargavel, director of development and communications at Gillian’s Place, the ambassadors are a direct link each year to the number of people who register, raise funds and come out to join the annual walk at the Pen Centre.
“It’s such a great team-building exercise,” Dargavel says of the walk. “It brings out the women to see the men walking in women’s shoes. When you have ambassadors from large organizations such as Niagara College, Pen Financial Credit Union and CAA Niagara, they are so important to help spread the word.”
Kevin Ruthven, vice president of information technology at CAA Niagara, is another 2024 ambassador who is all-in on the role.
“I’m really happy to take on the responsibility,” said Ruthven, who, like Youdale has never walked in women’s shoes before. “Gillian’s Place is such a worthy organization with whom CAA has had a long-standing relationship.”
In fact, CAA Niagara has been a major supporter of Walk a Mile in HER Shoes since 2014, wrapping many of their vehicles in Gillian’s Place’s logo prior to the big day each year. Ruthven also cites the involvement of CAA’s vice president of finance Doug Stones and CEO Peter Van Hezewyk in past walks.
Ruthven has set a personal goal to raise $5,000 before October 19. He’s already more than halfway there with $2,620 pledged as of press time.
He also organized a lunchtime barbecue at the company’s Thorold location. He estimates close to 30 people enjoyed a hamburger or hotdog and a cupcake. Through the cash donations on the spot and online donations generated by an internal email, Ruthven raised $745 to go toward the corporate team called CAA Niagara - Heels and Wheels, currently the top fundraising team for this year’s walk with $3,130 pledged toward its $5,000 goal.
Ruthven is eager to do his first walk but has a bit of nervous anticipation as well, due to a knee injury he suffered while playing softball recently.
“When I went to Gillian’s Place for the tour I took a pair of 5-inch stilettos back to the office to put on my desk,” he laughed. “They are getting a lot of attention. But with my knee, there’s no way I’ll be able to do the walk in those. I’ll chose a much lower heel but still-fancy shoes for Oct. 19.”
Rounding out the 2024 ambassadors are Steve Stone, senior director at Niagara Casinos, Mike Loncarich, chief delivery officer at PenFinancial Credit Union, Grimsby councillor Jacob Baradziej, and this year’s youth ambassador Jake Regehr, son of Gillian’s Place executive director Nicole Regehr.
“Jake has been walking since he was three years old,” said Dargavel. “His rationale for walking and why it’s so important to him is so inspiring. He has a strong tie to Gillian’s Place and his involvement will have lots of impact”
Dargavel added that all registered walkers who raise $100 or more by Sep. 30 will have their names entered in a draw for four tickets to to the Niagara Ice Dogs home opener against Brampton on Oct. 6. And anyone who raises more than $500 will be entered into a draw to win Ice Dogs season tickets.
“We are also offering our Chance for Change 50-50 to support survivors of violence on right now,” said Dargavel. “The draw for that will be held on Nov. 25 the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women.”
Visit gilliansplace.com for more information.
