Tigers Against Trafficking will hold its second annual 5k run March 27 at 5:30 p.m. on the Parade Ground.TAT works to promote awareness of international human trafficking among students and to raise funds to support the cause, according to TAT officer Jennie Armstrong.All proceeds from the 5k will benefit the A-21 Campaign, which operates from Greece and works to rehabilitate victims rescued from sex slavery.”Since our events are fully funded by corporate sponsors, all registration goes directly to the rescue and rehabilitation of women and children sold into sex trafficking,” Armstrong said.TAT’s goal for the 5k is to register 500 runners for $25 each in an effort to raise $10,000, Armstrong said.Sign-in for the event will begin at 3:30 p.m. Jambalaya and other free food will be available for participants after the race. The band Winbourne will play at the race.An estimated 27 million people are enslaved across the world today, and about 80 percent are women and children, Armstrong said.”Every 47 seconds someone is sold into slavery,” Armstrong said.TAT began in October 2008. Their first 5K was in March 2009 with about 400 participants, Kaiser said.”It started off as just an event, we didn’t realize it would grow as much as it has,” Kaiser said.TAT officially became a student organization in August 2009, and in October they hosted a benefit concert that raised more than $7,000 for the A-21 campaign.”We want to raise awareness for the next generation,” Kaiser said.
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Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]
Race to benefit sex slavery victims
March 24, 2010