More than 2,000 Participants Expected at Saturday’s “Free Them” 5k/10k to Fight Human Trafficking

Runners in a Free Them 5K event

More than 2,000 enthusiastic runners and walkers will converge at World Concern’s headquarters, this Saturday, May 11, to help raise awareness and funds to prevent human trafficking.

This is World Concern’s 5th annual “Free Them” 5k/10k event. Last year’s race drew more than 1,900 people, and raised $142,000 to support World Concern’s anti-trafficking programs. This year’s event is expected to be larger and raise even more for this important cause. Human trafficking is estimated to be the third largest criminal activity in the world, and more than 80% of trafficking victims are women and young girls. World Concern works to protect those vulnerable to modern-day slavery, sexual exploitation, and abuse in some of the poorest places in Southeast Asia and around the world.

Edmonds resident Gary Womelsduff will participate in the 10k race, and will lead the crowd in a moment of silence before the race to honor those affected by the April 15 Boston bombings. 

Womelsduff ran the Boston Marathon this year, crossing the finish line about 50 minutes before the explosions occurred. World Concern would like to remember and pray for the families of those who lost their lives, and for those who were injured.

For more information about the Free Them 5k/10k, visit the webpage. Participants can register onsite the day of the event. For stories and photos of World Concern’s humanitarian work around the world, visit the webpage or call Cathy Herholdt at 206-546-7374.

World Concern is a Christian global relief and development organization. With our supporters, our faith compels us to extend life- saving help and opportunity to people facing the most profound human challenges of extreme poverty. Our areas of expertise include disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health. World Concern is a member of the CRISTA family of ministries, which serve people around the world in the areas of education, global relief and development, youth camps, senior care and media,