On August 1, chained from head to toe, Eric Proffitt began his 42 day quest, Run for the Rescue, and will run through major cities in the United States and United Kingdom. From the Statue of Liberty in New York to the graveside of abolitionist hero William Wilberforce in London, Eric will not only carry heavy chains but a message of hope to fight modern day slavery.

“At least 27 million people are already victims of human trafficking, they are suffering on a magnitude too staggering to comprehend” said Eric.  The songwriter who attended the Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking in February last year said he was inspired to take action by the work of the UN to combat human trafficking.  At the conference, Eric realized the severity of the crime.  Nearly 60% of people in slavery are children and over 80% of people living in slavery are used as sexual slaves.

“A drug can only be sold once, but a person can be sold over and over again in the same night, that is why human trafficking has become the second most profitable illegal activity in the world.  People are not aware that this crime happens around us, it’s a global problem and actions need to be taken, this is clearly slavery” he added.

Run for the Rescue hopes to raise US$1 for each of the 27 million people living in slavery, and to awaken the world to the reality of this crime in every major city across the globe.  Proceeds from the race will be used by non-profit organizations to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked victims and to find and prosecute the perpetrators of human trafficking.

To follow Eric’s blog, donate, or see Eric run in a city near you check out: http://www.run4therescue.com/