Courtesy Operation61
It’s more than a problem, it’s more than a scandal. And it’s happening within many of the cities and towns we all call home here in the United States, hidden from view and yet everywhere.
Human trafficking for sex and forced labor has enslaved millions of people worldwide — some 27 million and even some 300,000 children, according to the Utah-based nonprofit group Operation61, which seeks to raise awareness about the trafficking of human beings and stop the demand for it.
That’s why the group began its End Demand Half Marathon, 10K & 5K race three years ago. As the group’s leaders describe, they were inspired by a 2,700-year-old Bible verse from the book of Isaiah, which reads:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
Unable to stand idly by in the face of such injustice, the members of the group have been organizing races and other events since 2008 to bring this issue to the forefront and get people talking about it.
Read all about (and sign up for) the End Demand Half Marathon here, and read more about Operation61 here.
