Walk for the Shelters

We made it!

More importantly, we raised money for women’s shelters in Manitoba and raised awareness about domestic abuse. We took it to the schools, the municipal meetings, the politicians and the streets.

We showed up at the Gospel Mennonite Church at 2pm to gather before marching to Memorial Park. The best part of the walk for me is meeting new people who are engaged in their community so I was happy to see many new faces join us for the final push to Memorial Park.

After some hellos and some pre-walk prep, we took to the streets. Mitch lead us which seemed appropriate. Beyond the fact that he walked a good deal of the way from Winkler to Winnipeg, leadership from the young people- Like Mitch, Bryan and Leanna, all of whom walked with me- is what’s going to make domestic abuse go away.

We walked the streets, supported by honking cars and thumbs up. Corydon, then Osborne and over the bridge. We walked with family, friends, strangers, politicians, media and anyone who was affected by domestic abuse or who cared to do away with it.

One of the great things about going for a long walk is the time that it allows for discussion. Your destination doesn’t arrive right away so you have time to breath and think and engage in conversation. The walk to Memorial Park was another chance for me to discuss the issue, this time with MLA for Kirkfield Park Sharon Blady.

As a survivor of domestic violence and an MLA she has important insight on the issue. Moreover, she is doing what politicians should do- she’s taking action. She’s enacting legislation that makes it easier for women in need to get to a shelter or find alternative housing. Well done, Sharon! Sharon Blady is up for re-election in October and everyone in Kirkfield Park should vote for her. Tell your friends.

When we arrived at Memorial Park we were greeted by Anna Pazdzierski, executive director of Nova house, a shelter that serves women and children in the Interlake Region.She graciously hosted the event at the park that included food, speakers and music. Also there to greet us were members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), specifically members of the CUPE Respect Campaign, friends family and supporters.

And then there was Troy Westwood, former kicker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, talented musician and all-around good dude. Troy’s been a champion of women’s rights and has actively worked to end domestic violence for some time now. He is really important to this issue in Manitoba because here’s a tough, football-playing guy who’s stepping up and saying that men have to be men and figure out what it takes to express their feelings in ways other than abuse. Troy wants to have mandatory training for Grade 9 students on this issue which I think is a great idea. Until men decide that we are done hurting our women and children, nothing will change.

Troy and friends played some songs, Sharon Blady told her story of abuse and what it took to emerge from that situation and get where she is today and Ang Braun told the story from the shelters point of view. They’re all inspiring Manitobans.

It was an amazing journey again this year. I had a wonderful time meeting new people, opening up discussions in schools and challenging people to speak out. Once again, I am left with a deep feeling of awe at the work that so many people do on a daily basis to protect women an children in Manitoba. I breeze in for a few days and try to get people talking about the issue, but these women who work at the shelters are at it every day. And it’s not the kind of job that one simply leaves at home when the shift is over. The emotional investment is huge. And even though what they see is often the ugliest part of the human experience, every shelter worker I’ve asked has told me that she has hope. They deserve our respect and support all year round.

I have to thank Keith Wilcox for once again paying his way to Manitoba from Las Vegas to make sure I don’t die of thirst in Southern Manitoba. I know that he also feels invested in the community. Thanks to Ang Braun and the staff of Genesis House for doing the leg work involved to make sure everything went smoothly. Ang and her team are smart, enthusiastic and have hearts beyond measure. The same is true of Anna Pazdzierski and her staff at Nova house who organized the event at Memorial Park. A huge thank you to them. And thank you to everyone who walked, donated, listened or was inspired to have the conversation about domestic abuse in your community.

On a personal note, I want to say that I come from a family- my mother and my aunts, uncles and cousins- that doesn’t hesitate to step in and help when one of their own engages in community service. Just like they did last year, my family was constantly asking what they could do. They cooked, they put Keith and me up, they donated their time and money, they pulled our rental car out of the mud, etc. My family shows up. I’m lucky to have them.

Walk For The Shelters has very little to do with walking or with me. It’s about the community. One of the lessons that was nurtured in Southern Manitoba a long time ago and then passed down to me by my ancestors was that it is the community’s obligation to help those in need. Well, just like my Great-Grandma in the 1930′s, there is a woman in a home in your community right now who is afraid of what will happen to her and her children later today. Her children feel that same fear. That’s unacceptable to me. So, I’m going to walk again next year. Who’s with me?

I gotta say, I really enjoy day 4. There are so many wonderful distractions in the city that allow one’s mind to dwell on the location of the next Tim Horton’s, for instance, rather than foot pain.

We pulled up to the St Norbert Farmer’s Market at 10am. 11 year old Mitch, his Mom Karen, 13 year old Bryan, his dad, Uncle Ron, Auntie Clara, cousin Jen her husband Dylan and their insanely cute daughter Naomi met Keith and me on Pembina Hwy, ready to hit the road. The weather was hot and sunny which is not ideal walking weather. Sun screen lathering was in order.

The relatives took us to the Perimeter Hwy and Mitch, Bryan, Keith and I carried on with Karen driving support. My foot, which for the last two days had not been doing well, was enjoying the smooth surfaces offered by Winnipeg’s sidewalks. Beyond my screaming foot, Mitch was struggling with tired legs and a cramp or two. With a firm adherence to the adage that no man gets left behind, we threw Mitch over the shoulder and carried him to the next stop. He’s a good kid and he hates not doing what he set out to do. Thank goodness he’s not that heavy!

Walking straight up Pembina Hwy we reached our destination in about 4 hours. Not too bad!

I’m thrilled to be almost done and looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at the Gospel Mennonite Church at 2pm for the final portion of the walk. We meet at the church at 2, start walking around 2:30pm and then arrive at Memorial Park at 3pm.

JOIN ME!

Any body know a podiatrist?

Last year, day 3 was the day when the aches and pains caught up with me and I hit the wall. Same thing this year. When you’re walking this much, it’s all about the terrain. Every little rock, every bit of gravel or mound of dirt affects how one’s foot lands. The joint gets tweaked at every step. Moreover, one’s foot is constantly being punched by whatever one is stepping on. It’s a recipe for unhappy feet. And that’s what I struggled with today.

We started at Morris school, chatting with some middle and high school kids about why I was doing this walk. It’s an incredible opportunity to chat with kids in Winkler, Lowe Farm and now Morris. If the statistics are right, 25% of the kids I’m talking to have seen violence in their home. If it’s not talked about they either think it’s normal and OK or they feel isolated, like they’re the only ones in the world dealing with it. I’m able to go into a school and engage in frank discussions with the students about domestic abuse and effective emotional expression and why it’s important. This year, Walk For The Shelters seems to be more about outreach in schools and chatting with elected officials than about just walking which suits me fine. The purpose of the walk is to get people’s attention. Once I’ve got that, then the real work starts.

After chatting with the kids in Morris, Mitch, Mitch’s mom Karen, Ang, Keith and I set off for the open road bound for St Adolphe. Getting a late start, we knew we wouldn’t make the day but we’d walk as much as we could. Plus, my ailing foot made made walking an uncertain prospect. Mitch, Ang and I set off around 10:20am with Keith and Karen driving support vehicles. Shortly thereafter the Mayor of Morris arrived to walk with us for a spell. Like the mayor of Winkler, he felt that the role of local government was to support. He said that local government wasn’t in a position to take action on the issue but that he’s happy to support an event like Walk For The Shelters. I was glad we had the chance to have the discussion.

Ang stepped away for a school function with her daughter and Mitch and I kept at it for a couple hours until my foot had enough. Keith stepped in and walked with Mitch until Mitch had to head back to the city leaving Keith walking the road by his lonesome. Keith walked till we made the switch at St Agathe. I walked for another hour from St Agathe until I couldn’t go any farther. Keith took us dangerously close to St Adolphe before we packed it in for the day.

Hoping ice and Ibuprofen will be enough to get me from St Norbert to Corydon Ave tomorrow!

Interesting day!

I started from Altona in the morning knowing that at 12:15pm Keith would pick me up and drive me to Lowe Farm to speak at a gathering of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, a meeting of all the community leaders in Southern Manitoba. While I was excited by the prospect being able to reach the heads of all the municipalities, I wanted to cover as much ground as I could before stepping away from the road.

The ever-changing terrain wreaked havoc on my feet but, determined to make up time, I put my earphones on, cranked the music up and gave ‘er. Bathed in Deep Woods cologne to deal with clouds of mosquitoes surrounding me most of the way, and rocking out to whatever my iPod shuffled my way, i was making really good time. Then that changed.

At around 11am I reached what last year was a small dip in the terrain. This year it was an impassable, fast moving river. I had initial thoughts of trying to cross it Man vs Wild style. But then I wised up. I called on Keith for a pick up and he drove me around to a parallel point just West.

As I started walking once more, I was really feeling the pain in my feet. I’ve learned that stopping for even 10mins during a walk like this can reveal pain that wasn’t there before. And as noon approached it wasn’t getting better. It’s about that time that I got a call from Keith.

Some of the dirt roads in the area are passable but others merely look so. They lure in cars and then grab hold of tires and don’t let go. Our support vehicle managed to get stuck in the evil Manitoba dirt. Keith did the best he could but when your rental car is a small Kia, getting stuck is inevitable. With 1215 approaching and no way to pick me up, it was looking like I’d miss the association of municipalities meeting. But then we called in the cavalry. My Uncle Ron answered the call with his big ol’ pick up truck and picked me up. Driving faster than anyone should on gravel roads, he got me to the meeting on time.

The community leaders were really receptive to what Ang Braun and I had to say. We weren’t asking for anything other than the opportunity to tell them that domestic abuse is happening in their community right now. See, once people know that, I believe they are obligated to do something about it. No one can be on the other side of this issue. As an elected official, you’re either ignorant of the facts or you’re actively trying to deal with the problem.

The meeting was followed by a visit to Lowe Farm school to chat with kids about domestic abuse and about positive ways to express anger. I told them that anger is wonderful. I love anger! But it must be expressed in positive ways. You vote it, you sing it, you dance it, you write, etc. Me, I’m walking it.

After that it was back on the road towards Morris. Again, the mid-day stop isn’t great for my muscles and joints. The pain in my foot made it so that I had to step off Hwy 23 to Morris. I didn’t finish the day nut the meeting and talking to the kids in Lowe Farm was way more important.

Good day that was made better by family. As always Ron and Clara Wiebe and the rest of my family are ridiculously supportive. Feels good.

Onto Day 3.

I forgot how tough this is!

Another walk has begun and I’m happy to report that we made it past Day 1! Very fortunately, my old friend Keith agreed to travel North from Las Vegas to drive a support vehicle again and many of the same folks who made last year’s walk possible were with me again.

Day 1 got off to a wonderful start in Winkler as we gathered at the Winkler Rec Centre before embarking on another 157km walk in support of women’s shelters in Manitoba. The mayor of Winkler and representatives from the local media were all on hand. Beyond that, no less than six walkers, including the mayor, joined me for the first mile. Shelter employees, supporters and friends all set off for Altona at around 9:15am.

The weather held for almost the entire day as we made our way towards Altona.

While most walkers who started the walk in the morning very understandably had to get back to work by the early afternoon, I’m proud to say that 11 year old Mitch managed to stick it out for most of the day and 18 yer old leanna from Winkler walked the whole way!

Leanna and I strolled into Altona by 5:30pm, just in time to get back to the care of my aunt and uncle in Morris, an incredible meal and game 7.

While my legs never really felt great the whole day, I’m hopeful that day 2 will be different.

36.1km done!!

…Cause The Walk is back!

The Second annual Walk For The Shelters in support of women’s shelters in Manitoba and domestic abuse awareness is happening JUNE 15TH-19TH!

You may recall that last year I walked 150KM from Winkler, MB to Memorial Park in Winnipeg after being inspired by stories about my Great-Grandmother, Mary Braun. One cold, October night in the 1930′s Mary Braun was forced out of her house in Lowe Farm, MB with the threat of violence. Mary had no choice but to walk to a farm house in Altona 10 miles away where she was taken in for the night and returned home the next day. Back then, women like my incredible Great-Grandmother had no other option.

When domestic abuse affects women and children in Manitoba today there are shelters they can turn to. GENESIS HOUSE is the shelter that now supports women and children in the community my Great-Grandmother was from. Very unfortunately, GENESIS HOUSE and Manitoba shelters like it are underfunded. They are unable to be as supportive of the women and children in our communities as they ought to be. Moreover, in many communities domestic abuse is still a subject that isn’t even talked about, a fact that makes the problem impossible to deal with. In an effort to raise funds for the shelter in my community and raise awareness about domestic abuse I walked from Winkler to Winnipeg retracing the steps my Great Grandmother took that awful night but in reverse. Along the way we raised a good amount of money and started the conversation about domestic abuse. Scroll down for a look at last year’s walk.

Well, I’m going to do it again this year and I need your help!

YOU are cordially invited to walk with me or, better yet, start your own walk in support of the women”s shelter in YOUR community. Walk from your neighborhood and meet up with me at Memorial Park on June 19th, Father’s Day. That’s right- Father’s Day. This year, I’m challenging men and across the province to step up and support the women and children in our communities that are affected by domestic abuse. Walk for for 1km or 150km. But join me!

Email me at stevebraun@actngthetruth.com and I’ll set you up with everything you need to start your own Walk!

Doing something good for your community and having a blast doing it is only a long walk away! So email me today.

Stay Tuned for more details!

Wow. Seriously. Wow. Such an incredible day!

The last leg of the walk started at around 3pm so after a nice lunch with family I made my way to the Onalee Ames Film Studio to join the unknown number of folks who would walk from Corydon to Memorial Park.

My family and I were the only one’s there by 2:30pm or so. I had vision of five of us walking down the sidewalks to the park. And then the people started showing up. A couple at time. Then more. Then the police showed up and told me that they would be shutting down the streets for us and blocking intersections. By the time we began to march we were 60 or so strong with signs and placards. Women, children and men took to the streets. We were met with thumbs up and honks of support. Some folks ended up joining with us as well. It was incredible. A proud moment for us and a far cry from walking empty gravel roads on my own or walking from Lowe Farm to Altona alone, in the dead of night, like my Great-Grandmother Mary did.

Once at our destination, we gathered to listen to testimonials from women who were saved by Ikwe. An Aboriginal Elder, drumming group and singers reinforced the notion that something must be done to end domestic abuse in every community. MLA from Kirkfield Park, Sharon Blady, shared her own personal story of enduring and then escaping domestic abuse.

I was thrilled with the turn out and the media attention. Donations aside, if we opened up the conversation about domestic abuse in places where that conversation wasn’t being had, then we did well.

157km later, I am left with a profound respect for the work that the women who run these shelters do. They are worthy of our support. While they deal with the horrors of domestic abuse on a daily basis to a person, they all have hope. I know because I asked each of them. They all know women who have broken the cycle of violence and gotten out. While many women they work with don’t break that cycle and go back to their abusers, they have hope that with education and proper resources, the cycle can be broken.

But women can only go half way. We men have to figure out how to express our anger, our sadness and our pain in ways that aren’t destructive to the women and children in our lives. We get to be angry. Hell, look around- there’s a lot to be angry about. But we must express our anger constructively. We must speak it. Write it. Sing it. Dance it. Paint it. Vote it. Train it. Lift it. Walk it. Used properly our anger can change lives for the better. Right now many of us are making the mistakes our fathers made and not taking the time to learn the constructive language of anger. And that has to change.

Until it does, until people in Manitoba can talk openly about domestic abuse and until the government adequately funds women’s shelters and domestic abuse prevention plans, I’m going to walk.

I hope you join me next year.

Walking the big city! Aganetha and Tina from Genesis House joined the surprisingly short walk from the outskirts of Winnipeg to Corydon Ave. Keith got to drive in the city for the first time and when we needed to stop there were plenty of places. For the most part we walked under overcast skies, narrowly missing the rain just South of us and the rain that would come that evening in WInnipeg.

Walking with these gals is never boring as they are always upbeat and funny. We had a blast and the conversation made the miles feel much shorter. We had hoped to make a surprise appearances at MLA offices along the way but the only one we passed was not open that time of morning. We did stop by BOB FM and demanded to be put on the radio (in a nice way). The woman at the front desk was really sweet but explained that they didn’t have any DJ’s on the air at that time. I offered to DJ for them but they declined.

Even with my limp, we made such good time that we had to stop at every Tim Horton’s we passed along the way. Literally. Every one. We took a lunch break at Pizza Hut on Pembina and Stafford where we were met by Sharon Morgan, the Executive Director of Ikwe, as well as Joan and Charlene from Ikwe and an APTN news crew. I should mention that when one of the staff members at Pizza Hut learned that 4 of the 6 people sitting at our table worked at a women’s shelter she made one of our bills disappear. Very sweet of her. That’s Pizza Hut on Pembina at Stafford just North of The Round Table. Go there.

Shot a nice interview with APTN and then we were on our way now joined by Charlene from Ikwe. We made it as far as the next Tom Horton’s. When scheduling day 4 I allowed for the fact that I may have to stop to deal with my aches and pains so I granted too much time than was needed. It wasn’t so bad. I got to have boxes of Timbits and chat more with the gang.

We strolled into 701 Corydon Ave around 4:30pm and were greeted by Onalee Ames and the folks from her acting studio. A good day of walking and the end is in sight!

Day 3, Morris to St. Adolphe was the day I hit the wall. When I’m walking alone there is so much more time to focus on the slow pace and the joint and muscle pain. It’s amazing how chatting with someone about something- anything- can allow one to ignore pain and get another 10 miles done. Sometime before St Agathe, about 4 hours in, the 28 miles of walking the day before caught up to me. My right knee was screaming at me. It was a considerable amount of pain that wouldn’t go away or move and I was unable to focus on anything else. I had to stop. Now, I have no notions of needing to prove anything to anyone and I’m not interested in doing long term damage to myself. I’ve said before that the walk is meant to get folk’s attention, not put me in the hospital. That said, it felt on some level like I was letting people down by stopping. But two attempts to walk past the pain later, I had no choice.

Keith picked me up and we headed back to Morris for some rehab. Ice and Advil were employed and all I could do was wait and see. Then two angels descended upon Southern Manitoba. C.U.P.E’s own Kathy and Sheree called and said that they had lunch for Keith and me. They had driven out from WInnipeg to feed us. I had to tell them that I had pulled myself off the road and that I was back in Morris. They insisted on driving farther South to us. The food they brought, so-called “Winnipeg Social” food- deli, rye bread, Old Dutch, Coke, etc- and their support and encouragement were worth all the pain killers in the world. They inspired me to head back out on the trail.

The gravel road from St Agathe to St. Adolphe was made easier by a change in my gait (the tiniest variation can bring pain or pain relief) and I reached my destination just a touch later than I planned. But I got there.

I’m looking forward to the end!

Whoa. 28 miles. Tough day.

After a less than terrific night at the Altona Motor Inn, Keith drove ahead and I made my way up Rd 5 from Altona to Lowe Farm. This was a personal day. Aside from Keith checking in every few miles, I was walking by myself and I was walking some of the ground my Great-Grandmother walked decades earlier.

It felt like my legs never really found a groove today. Not sure what that was about. Turns out the slightest variance in terrain (a slight bit of gravel or rock) can dramatically affect the joints on a long walk like this. And there was a lot of variance in the terrain. Gravel, dirt, paved. My legs were screaming at me for most of the day.

As I walked the 10 miles that represented Mary’s walk, I was struck by how long she had to walk that night. 10 Miles is a heck of a long way to walk at the best of times. And I had warm daylight, water, a cell phone, proper shoes, a clear head, etc… I can’t imagine having to walk that 10 miles in October, in the dead of night, having just come from a frightening domestic situation and with no ability to contact anyone. Can’t imagine what she must have been thinking.

After 18 miles, I was very happy to reach Lowe Farm around 1pm. Inasmuch as Lowe Farm is the town where generations of Brauns were born and raised, I very much consider it part of who I am. It was exciting to see it again. Plus, I knew that Ang Braun (relation unknown), Executive Director of Genesis House, had arranged for lunch at the Lowe Farm Community Centre which thrilled me to no end.

As I turn East on Hwy 23 at the West End of town, I caught a glimpse of some familiar faces waiting for me. My cousins, Laurie and Jennifer, along with their incredible children were there to escort me to the community centre. Walking 157km is mostly a mental challenge so a visit from cousins and kids who bring me joy was a nice boost.

After an incredible lunch prepared by Aganetha from Genesis House, and collecting a wonderful donation from some new friends, it was off to Morris. Walking 10 miles after just finishing 18miles and really not wanting to leave the comfort of Lowe Farm was not easy.

Kung-Fu Keith decided he wanted to stretch his legs and walk with me so the two of us headed East on Hwy 23. It was the hardest 10 miles so far. My knee was not doing well, the gravel sholder was difficult to walk on and we were a little too close to passing cars.

We got into Morris at 5:30pm and was greeted with water, ice, coffee and cake by Bill and Joyce Ginter, their wonderful donation, and my kick-ass cousins.

What followed was an incredible display of family. Laurie and Jennifer abosultey took over. They saw to it that I was very well fed and very well cared for. They’re the best.

Morris to St Adolphe tomorrow.