Walk for Freedom rally aims to raise
awareness of human trafficking
By Robert Stevens
Managing editor
Oct. 12, 2017
EPHRAIM—Human trafficking is not often highlighted in mainstream society, but one group is trying to turn awareness into action to help victims of slavery.
A21, a global anti-human trafficking organization with local advocates, will hold a Walk-for- Freedom rally in Ephraim on behalf of millions of men, women and children around the world experiencing various forms of slavery.
The rally/walk will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., beginning at Solid Rock Café on the corner of 100 East and Center Street.
The guest speaker will be Jessica Sanders, a California resident who works with Extreme Response, a humanitarian organization. In that role, she advocates for orphans and vulnerable children. Following the walk outside, she will talk about her personal journey with human trafficking inside the Solid Rock Café.
A21 local advocate Ashley Thompson wants to assure residents that the event is not a protest but a silent, single-file walk on behalf of the millions of people who have lost their freedom, and in many cases their lives, because of abduction and other abuse.
Group leaders say that while the issue of slavery is complex, A21’s solution is simple: “Reach, rescue, restore.”
Nationally, the Walk for Freedom is in its fourth year, although this is the first year Utah will participate. Last, year, A21 sponsored more than 300 walks in 40 countries and reached more than 60 million people via social media campaigns.
To register for the event, visit www.a21.org/Ephraim. For more information, call or text Ashley Thompson at 435-609-0273 or by email at ashleyebuchert@gmail.com.
