Event Description

“We only have two choices: do nothing, or do something.”
– Tony Kirwan, Destiny Rescue Founder & International CEO

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States. It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. According to the most recent International Labour Organization (ILO) study, there are an estimated 49.6 million people currently living in modern slavery around the world, and 5.1 million people are in modern slavery on any given day in the United States (ILO 2022).

We are ready to do something. Stop the Traffick! is an inaugural race festival that in partnership with Destiny Rescue is seeking to raise funds to rescue children from human trafficking. We will begin the morning with a competitive 5K at Kalamazoo Christian Elementary (note that this course will be off-road and will use the cross country course), followed by awards, and then our Fun Run/Fundraiser. For anyone not looking to be competitive or for a paved option, the Fun Run course will be a more friendly option. Additionally, our fundraisers, called Chain Breakers, will be doing laps on our Fun Run loop.

International Labour Organization. (2022, September). Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—ipec/documents/publication/wcms_854733.pdf