MILTON – A Unifor team, led by Unifor National President Jerry Dias and his son Jordan, raised a record breaking 126,000 for Halton Women’s Place in the Hope in the High Heels walk in Milton, Ontario.

“Knowing that the money goes directly to support survivors of domestic abuse motivates our team to raise our fundraising goal each year,” said Dias. “Sadly we continue to see the tragic consequences of domestic violence in our society, highlighting the urgent need for the services that organizations like Halton Women’s Place provide.”

This year’s Hope in High Heels fundraiser was dedicated to the memory of Laura Grant, a 57-year-old emergency dispatcher at the Mississauga Central Ambulance Communication Centre, who was murdered by her husband last month. The fundraiser also took place days after a 27-year-old woman was brutally murdered by her ex-partner in a daylight machete attack in Scarborough, Ontario.

Diane Beaulieu, Executive Director, Halton Women’s Place, encouraged walkers to take action if they witness a woman in trouble and to stand against misogynist behaviour as she announced the launch of a new male ally program for boys.

“We have to start with our youth, if we don’t start with them things are not going to change,” said Beaulieu.

Dias also called for government action as he pointed out the harm caused by a $17 million dollar cut to women’s programs in Ontario.

“The Ford government has taken more than $120,000 away from the important work that needs to be done by Halton Women’s Place,” said Dias. “As proud as we are of our fundraising of 126,000, all that does is replace the money that was taken from the two area shelters.”

Halton Women’s Place is an organization providing shelter and crisis services for physically, emotionally, financially and sexually abused women and their dependent children and is dedicated to ending violence against women and their children.To date Dias and his team have raised more than $460,000 in Hope in High Heels events.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.