About 500 students and community members ran a 5K race Saturday afternoon to raise awareness and funds for the millions of women and children sold into a life of sex trafficking each year.Tigers Against Trafficking reached its goal of raising $10,000 from the second annual run.All proceeds raised from the 5K benefitted the A-21 Campaign — a nonprofit shelter based out of Thessaloniki, Greece, which works directly with victims rescued from sex trafficking.”Due to corporate sponsors, 100 percent of donations go to the A-21 Campaign,” said Sarah Kaiser, TAT co-founder and University graduate.Co-founder Natalie Laborde said students taking responsibility is vital.”The leaders of the next generation are here on campus, and we want to help empower students to learn about this issue,” she said. “Everyone has a part to play.”Elizabeth Callender, accounting junior, said she heard about the run and TAT from a neighbor and is interested in learning more about the organization.”It’s a good way to get the word out about the cause and be involved in something new on campus,” Callender said.Alexis Blackwell, pre-dental freshman, said she learned about TAT through friends and by attending the benefit concert at the Varsity Theatre last fall.TAT began in the spring of 2009 when the co-founders originally planned to organize a single event to benefit the A-21 campaign. But student interest prompted them to create an entire organization, Laborde said.”I couldn’t sit back and not do something to help,” TAT officer Jennie Armstrong said about the first time she learned about sex trafficking.TAT is also working to expand its programs to other universities across the country. Similar organizations are being developed at Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Kansas.—-Contact Grace Montgomery at [email protected]