Walkathon to raise awareness of child slavery

For many, the idea of child slavery and sex trafficking issomething that happens in bad places far away, but Leanora Ortiz,the coordinator of the Third Annual Hope Revolution Walkathonhappening in Bay Ridge on Saturday October 1, wants you to know itis happening right in your own backyard.

This is not something that happens just in Third Worldcountries anymore, Ortiz said. It happens right here in NewYork.

The five mile walkathon, which will go from St. John’s EpiscopalChurch at 99th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway to the 69th StreetPier and then back, is organized to raise awareness of the globaldilemma.

But it has another purpose as well, to raise money for theorganization Love146, which Ortiz says is committed to confrontingthe full breadth of the problem.

There are a lot of different facets to Love146, she said.They not only deal with prevention, but they have safe homes. Theytake care of the whole health of the child.

For more information, or to register for the Third Annual HopeRevolution Walkathon. visit the organization’s website at:146taskforce.org/newyorkcity/3rd-annual-hope-revolution-walkathon.