On Saturday, Oct. 22, WillowBend Farms will hold their annual “Run For Their Freedom” 5K race to end human trafficking. The event, located at Greenway Park in Cleveland, Tennessee, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will end with a time of worship and a candlelight ceremony.
WillowBend Farms is a local, non-profit organization focused on supporting survivors of human trafficking. This will be the fifth annual Run For Their Freedom race, and will raise awareness about human trafficking, specifically in Bradley County, and gather support for human trafficking survivors.
“You have an opportunity to help them [survivors] run for their freedom, to give them an invitation of hope, that’s what coming and being a part of this race is all about,” said Sarah McKinnis, Co-Founder and CEO of WillowBend Farms, in a Facebook video.
Participants can choose to either run the 5K or walk one mile, then congregate for the candlelight ceremony following both events.
“At the end of the race, there's this candle lighting ceremony. It's called the 99, to remember the first 99 who were rescued by WillowBend farms, in the first year. It's a commemoration,” said a member of the event planning committee, Lucas Yanes. “Everyone who is trafficked, people who are rescued from trafficking, and people who will, unfortunately, never be rescued from trafficking.”
Local food vendors will be at the event, including MohMoh’s, Chick-Fil-A, Kona Ice, Dad’s BBQ, and Inman Coffee.
“[We] love partnering with our friends at WillowBend Farms to raise awareness,” said Joel Rogers, founder of Inman Coffee. “When awareness is raised, people are more privy to what's going on. Their bubble kind of pops a little bit, and they see needs around them they've never seen before, and they become people better equipped to change the world.”
Event coordinators encourage college students to register for the race, volunteer, or show up to support the runners.
“We want people to be aware of the dangers of human trafficking, that it does happen near them,” said Yanes. “And along with that awareness, a proactivity of ‘what can I do to stop that, and to help that.’”
For more information about how to register or volunteer, click here.
