When the doors of the former Lewis Suzuki building open tomorrow night at 6 pm, a host of special surprises will greet the guests: beautiful decorations and hors d’oeuvres, music and special emcees, and best of all, a group of men passionate in their desire to help us all to “walk a mile in the shoes of women battling substance abuse.”
This year’s participants come from many professions, from pastors to coal miners, from a real estate agent to a team mascot, from news professionals to a professional boxer. The diversity is a reminder that addiction strikes those across the full spectrum of southern West Virginia residents.
The Hunks in Heels event has received a makeover this year. Sparrow’s Nest, a women’s residential substance abuse program under Brian’s Safehouse in Raleigh County, WV, is the focus. Donations received through Hunks in Heels voting will go to Sparrow’s Nest and Newspapers in Education, a program to provide newspapers to classrooms across southern West Virginia. The organizations are putting the spotlight on how substance abuse affects women and their loved ones. The alcohol-free event promises to be a fun and memorable evening.
Two of the men donning women’s shoes are graduates of Brian’s Safehouse. Kyle Viars explained what it meant to be able to give back to Brian’s Safehouse after going through the program. “It means everything to me because when I was brought into Brian’s Safehouse I was homeless. I didn’t have nothing, my wife and kids had left… I had no money, no nothing. My parents are dead, I’ve had a brother and sister die… I was literally just bouncing around from house to house, sleeping where I could. Seriously homeless.
“For (Brian’s Safehouse) to take me in with open arms and just show me what it was like to live again, show me what it was like to have a relationship with Jesus Christ – it means everything to me to give back to the community that’s given so much to me and my family.”
2012 graduate Mark Edwards shared, “What stood out most to me when I got to Brian’s Safehouse was these people actually loved me just the way that I was. And just to experience that love, it changed my life. Because at that point in my life I couldn’t see how anybody could love somebody like me…”
Viars and Edwards are now reunited with their families. Their marriages are strong and growing stronger. They are involved in their churches and providing for their families. Their success inspires others.
Chip Williams, co-owner of CrossFit Coal, is participating in the event because Brian’s Safehouse is “changing people’s lives, and leading people to Christ. It and Sparrow’s Nest are definitely worth a little embarrassment.”
The highlight of the event will be the lip-sync contest. CrossFit Coal has a team, with Viars, Edwards, Williams, and fellow CrossFit athlete, Dave Green, participating. Asked about the lip-syncing, Viars laughs, “You’ve got my huge quads under a little thin slipper; you’ve got Dave’s hairy legs, you’ve got Mark’s outrageous outfit, and Chip, well, he’s just stunning looking…”
Voting online is key to the fundraiser: every dollar donated counts as a vote, and the Hunk with the most votes wins. Votes cast online up until 5 pm on Friday will be counted. Photos of the Hunks show how many votes they have received; clicking on their name allows for donations to be made. Vote online at www.sparrowsnest.info/hunks-in-heels.html.
The event is almost sold out, with few tickets remaining; they will not be sold at the door. Tickets are $40 each. For more information, call Carla Nelson at 304-255-4498. Votes may be cast at https://www.sparrowsnest.info/hunks-in-heels.html.
