Saturday, people in hundreds of cities around the world will stage silent walks to draw attention to the issue of human trafficking.
The organization A-21 derives its name from its mission - to end human trafficking in the 21st Century.
Hear the KRMG In Depth Report on the Walk for Freedom HERE.
Deborah Engles tells KRMG she got involved in the battle when her own 10-year-old granddaughter was targeted online.
“We started investigating, and found out the individual was only targeting young children,” she says.
Since then, Engles added, “my heart has been to educate parents and grandparents, and everything, so they’re able to protect their grandbabies."
She attended a speech by one of the founders of A-21, where she met Meg Weinkauf, and they teamed up to form a local chapter.
It was at one of their events that AnnMarie Hayden got involved, after something of an epiphany.
“Sitting in the audience during that event, I started to realize that some of the things that happened to me as a child were in fact trafficking,” Hayden told KRMG Tuesday.
“It was easy to fall into the trap of pornography, and quote unquote modeling,” she said. She was groomed expertly and says it “almost felt like it was empowering. People termed it in such a way that said ‘you can help your family, you can be famous,’ you know, ‘you’re going to make all this money, you’re beautiful, you’re amazing...’ All the things that a little girl, you know, without a father, and without an identity, wants to hear. And unfortunately the realities of that are very dark."
Saturday’s event will include several speakers, organizers, and activists, including:
- Karen Smith, Oklahoma Coalition Against Trafficking
- Amy Engle, Trauma Therapist and Survivor
- Kevin Metcalf, Director of Human Trafficking Response Unit, OK Attorney General
- Sergeant Nic Wheeler, Human Trafficking Taskforce
- Brett Hendrix, Changing Lanes to End Pornography Addictions
- Leslie Clingenpeel, Executive Director at The Spring
- Dr. Crystal Hernandez, Native American Advocate, and Ally
- AnnMarie Hayden, A21 co-host, Pastor at The Assembly at BA, and Survivor
It begins at 8:00 a.m. at The Assembly, 200 E. Broadway, in Broken Arrow.