TRC, Empire Theatre call for red shoe donations to aid family violence support services
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Kick off your red shoes to aid a community fundraising and education campaign to stamp out violence across our communities.
Toowoomba Region Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald is encouraging residents to donate red shoes which will be auctioned on November 25 in aid of Toowoomba Together’s fundraising efforts to help support services recognise, respond, and refer to domestic violence in the community.
“Red shoes can be donated at The Empire Ticket Office at 56 Neil Street, Toowoomba from 9am to 3pm on weekdays or at Council’s Customer Service office in Little Street, Toowoomba from 8.30am-5pm on weekdays,” Mayor McDonald said.
“We are inviting residents to donate their red shoes in a project that mirrors efforts by the Red Shoes Australia charity and a wider global movement ‘to ensure women across the country who have disappeared due to violence become visible again’.
“Any red shoes or boots will be accepted as part of the wider campaign to call out abusive behaviour in any setting.
“The Red Shoe Project is a global movement that lays bare the heartbreaking reality of gender-based violence.
“As part of the movement, hundreds of red shoes will be laid out in November, each one representing a woman who lost her life due to violence.
“The shoes stand as both a tribute to their memory and a call to action for all of us.
“This is a chance for us to stand together, raise awareness, and inspire change. We must be united in ensuring this issue stays at the forefront of our community’s attention.”
The November 25 auction date coincides with White Ribbon Day, which is also known as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Council last month joined The Empire Theatre to unveil Toowoomba’s latest red bench at the cultural precinct at 56 Neil Street, Toowoomba, which joins more than a dozen other red benches across the Region.
Red benches, a project devised by the Red Rose Foundation, are powerful visual symbols that serve as a reminder that we must keep working to change the ending and call out abusive behaviour in families, neighbourhoods and broader communities.