Stop the Trafficking 5K: A decade of impact going beyond city’s borders to end human trafficking

In 2013, Christine Erickson, director of children at risk ministries at Grace Church, launched the Stop the Trafficking 5K Walk/Run for Justice.

Over the past decade, the Stop the Trafficking 5K, spearheaded by Grace Church, has expanded its mission beyond the city’s borders to raise awareness and funds in the fight against human trafficking. The event represents a collaborative effort between Grace Church, the City of Eden Prairie, its police department, and local churches and businesses.

“It’s really grown beyond our EP community, which has been exciting,” said Erickson, who is the event director. “It’s still one of the issues everyone agrees needs to stop. No one should be trafficked, but especially, we want to see our kids protected, too.”

The 10th annual Stop the Trafficking 5K will start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at Purgatory Creek Park, welcoming runners and walkers. Pre-race speakers will deliver their speeches at 8:10 a.m. near the pavilion.

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Erickson noted that the event is considered Eden Prairie’s largest 5K.

Last year’s event achieved a new record with a turnout of 1,200 participants and marked the highest level of giving, according to Erickson. Over the past decade, Stop the Trafficking has donated $250,000 to aid 12 organizations dedicated to ending human trafficking.

The 2023 recipients of the donations include several Minnesota-based organizations, such as ACT United, Beloved, Breaking Free, House of Hope, and Terebinth Refuge. Additionally, the international organization Destiny’s Rescue is also among the recipients.

“We were able to donate $50,000 to different organizations last year,” she said. “Every year we look to donate 100 percent of the race fees that come in because sponsors cover all the race costs. So, we’ve been able to meet that goal, and I’m hoping for year 10 we will surpass both the number of participants and the amount donated.”

According to the Stop the Trafficking website, there are currently an estimated 40 million slaves worldwide, representing the highest number in history. Human trafficking, including the sexual exploitation of children, directly impacts local communities. In the United States, children typically become victims of sex trafficking between the ages of 12 and 14, with about 100,000 children being exploited each year.

“The primary goal of the 5K is to raise awareness about human trafficking and the fact that it doesn’t just happen elsewhere in the world but it’s happening right here in our own community,” Erickson said. “We also want to raise funds and support non-profits that are actively engaged in the fight to end human trafficking. The running and walking aspect of our event serves as a visible showing of our commitment to combating human trafficking.”

Erickson said that one of the most impactful moments of the event is when survivors of human trafficking participate.

“They have been just amazed at the number of people who come out for this event,” Erickson said. “And it gives them hope that people actually care and want to do something to stop human trafficking.”

This year, Erickson revealed plans to honor the Eden Prairie Police Department in recognition of its continued partnership with the event. The department will receive a special award to acknowledge its contributions.

“When I first started 10 years ago, I met with Eden Prairie city staff to express my interest in collaborating on this event and making it citywide,” she said. “At the time, to the best of my knowledge, our local police were not proactively involved in running sting operations. However, since then, Eden Prairie police, specifically Detective Carter Staaf, have played an active role in working with other area police departments to conduct sting operations targeting buyers and identifying victims.”

Erickson is hopeful about the weather forecast for Saturday morning.

“I’m holding out for the perfect weather day on the 17th because we’re due for a stress-free morning,” she said. “But, I will say, more often than not in the last 10 years, it’s usually some stress related to weather or a thunderstorm that is rolling through, but we never had to cancel. We’ve been rained on, but people still show up.”