The University community took a stand against human trafficking Saturday morning as 427 participants crossed the finish line and raised $10,000 at the fourth annual Tigers Against Trafficking 5K.
Tigers Against Trafficking is a student organization that raises awareness of human trafficking globally and locally. The group held the 5K to benefit the construction of a safe house for victims of human trafficking in Baton Rouge, as well as the A21 campaign, an international organization to stop human trafficking.
The race began and ended on Tower Drive in front of the Parade Ground.
After the race, runners listened to music, ate sandwiches and perused information about human trafficking.
Jessica Addison, civil engineering senior and president of Tigers Against Trafficking, said the main goal of the 5K was to teach students that human trafficking still exists and that they can do something to stop it.
Addison explained students should care about human trafficking because the “Baton Rouge-New Orleans area is one of the 10 top locations [in the country] for human trafficking.”
She said it is impossible to turn a blind eye to human trafficking, and students shouldn’t be passive to the issue because the person sitting next to them could be a victim.
Tigers Against Trafficking also had a life-size cage on the Parade Ground for the event.
Electrical engineering freshman Jared DeSoto said the display surprised him, but it was important because it gets people interested in the cause.
Dustin Anderson, mass communication senior and vice president of Tigers Against Trafficking, said the cage is a dramatic representation of a sex trafficking victim’s room.
Myles Laroux, co-star of the “Lil Finals Week” videos, was the master of ceremonies for the 5K. The international studies senior said he tries to use his recognition on campus for a good cause.
“It’s great to be a small piece of a puzzle that is this huge movement to stop human trafficking,” Laroux said.
Mass communication sophomore Adam Barnes participated in the race, but instead of running, he rode his unicycle.
Barnes explained he was initially interested in the cause after watching the movie “Taken,” but became involved with Tigers Against Trafficking when he learned about sex trafficking in the U.S.
He said his favorite part of the event was cheering on the other runners as they finished the race.
Shannon Smith, graduate student in social work, participated in the 5K to fight human trafficking.
Smith said had no idea that so many college students cared about human trafficking.
The founders of Tigers Against Trafficking – Sarah Kaiser, Jeremy Beyt and Natalie Laborde – attended the event and showed their support.
Kaiser said after learning about human trafficking, she and the other founders decided to hold an event to raise money for the cause.
She said the first 5K was a huge success, and it resulted in the formation of the Tigers Against Trafficking in 2008.
 
____
Contact Marylee Williams at [email protected]