SAFE-NOW, or Sexual Assault Forensic Exams for Nowata Osage and Washington Counties, will soon hold their Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser event.

Board President and victim advocate Shelley Holdman says SAFE-NOW encourages sexual assault victims to come forward. She says the first thing SAFE-NOW wants to do is to create trust between them and the victim. Beliving their story is the biggest factor in that trust.

Shame, Holdman says, belongs with the perpetrator and not the victim, which is what they want the victims of sexual assault to know. She says the shame is not their burden to bare and they do what they can to tell the victim that the assault was not their fault.

In order for the victim to regain power and control over the culprit, Holdman says victims have to speak out and come forward.

Holdman says that no matter when an assault happened, SAFE-NOW will offer exams. She says some people may call two weeks after an assault took place and they will do an exam.

They will even do exams for those who experienced sexual assault a month ago or longer. While that probably will not yeild results, Holdman says they will do a wellness exam to let the victim know that they are okay.

The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event was originally an internationally walk where men wore women's shoes to let sexual assault victim's know they have their support and understanding. This is the second year SAFE-NOW is putting on the fundraiser event.

This year's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraiser will be held at the Farmer's Market in downtown Bartlesville Saturday, April 27th. High heels for men will be available for rent at the event.