Staff writer
Wanted: people to run through traffic.
Not actual vehicle traffic, though.
“Running Through Traffick” (with an extra “K” added) is a run on April 16 to raise awareness and money to combat human trafficking.
Tabor College’s Social Justice Club sponsors the run, which began in 2012, and Beth Nesser, one of the club’s leaders, said the run is its biggest event of the year.
“A group of students at Tabor were very passionate about social justice and bringing different issues to light,” Nesser said. “We all feel that God isn’t done with the movement of human trafficking in the Hillsboro, Marion County, and surrounding areas.”
Nesser is hoping more than just Tabor students get involved in the run, since human trafficking affects surrounding areas, including as close as Wichita, which has an ongoing court case involving human trafficking.
“We are hoping to have a greater community turn out this year,” Nesser said. “We know that our community can have a big effect on this issue when we all join together for a common cause.”
The run will help raise funding for an anti-human trafficking agency in order to help rescue women, men, and children from the trade.
“Due to being in Kansas, we may not be able to do the front lines of the work of physically rescuing people,” Nesser said, “but we have the ability to raise funds for agencies to do this. We are doing what we can, where we are, with what we have.”
The run, which also includes a bike race at 9 a.m., will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Wohlgemuth Music building at Tabor.
As for running for a different cause in the future, Nesser said they are not planning on changing it any time soon.
“When God tells us to change it, we will,” Nesser said. “Until then, we will dwell on the fact that there are still 25-40 million slaves around the world today.”
Those interested in running may register by visiting https://htaw16.eventbrite.com.
More information is available by emailing Nesser at elizabethanesser@tabor.edu.