Two Owensboro residents have garnered the interest of hundreds of people for a fundraiser aimed at ceasing human and child trafficking.
“Save the children: The March to End Human Trafficking” is set for 6 p.m. Thursday.
Katie Kahn said the fundraiser is the first of its kind in the area. She said she spent years posting about the worldwide issue on her Facebook page before deciding to hold a fundraising event dedicated to the cause.
“It’s something I’ve been passionate about for years, and with the issue being more known and talked about than it was in the past, I decided to go for it,” she said of the event.
Thursday also marks World Day against Trafficking in Persons, and Kahn and her co-host Jamie Flaim Kays planned their event to commemorate the day.
Kahn said she decided a little more than a week ago to hold the march, and since then nearly 400 people have shown interest in the event, with 130 saying they will attend.
Kahn said she envisioned the group walking a short distance down Frederica Street while holding signs to bring awareness to the issue. With two children being sold in a human trafficking transition every minute — and with foster children at even higher risk — Kahn said the more awareness, the better.
Those who are interested in participating can meet at 5:30 p.m. at Wesleyan Park Plaza for a prayer led by the Rev. Jerry Tanner. The march will begin afterward.
Social distancing and face masks will be encouraged for the event, Kahn said. Donations can be made to the event’s Facebook page. All donations will go to Operation Underground Railroad, a non-profit that performs rescue operations and aftercare in 22 countries and 23 U.S. states.
“The number of people over the past week and a half who’ve reached out and shared their stories of trafficking and abuse with me shows how important this issue is,” Kahn said. “Whether you walk or not, just being there is so important.”
