5K race against human trafficking, survivor to join
Nicole Ardila
A local nonprofit will be hosting a 5K run race against human trafficking and joining them is an El Paso resident who’s a survivor of sex trafficking.
This Sunday, Chong Kim is joining Plant-a-Seed for their event starting at the Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, to spread awareness of an issue that she says is close to home.
Kim, a Korean American woman originally from Oklahoma where she was trafficked at 19 years old, is now advocate to putting an end to human trafficking.
“And I remember I would hear the whisper saying, ‘Everything’s going to be okay.’ And in that moment, to me, I felt like God was giving me a direction, and that meant I had to be like the traffickers, so that way I could find a way to escape,” said Kim, sharing her experience when she was trafficked back in the 1994.
Kim was trafficked by the man she was dating and it wasn’t until years later when she was able to escape — almost 30 years ago, she says.
Plant-a-Seed’s mission is to help Latinos and underserved communities, empower them, and help them grow.
“As a mother, as a sister and as a friend, you know, when you hear that 1 in 6 children reported missing were likely sex trafficked, you can’t unhear it,” explains Wendy Gamillo, president and founder of Plant-a-Seed. “You can’t look the other way, especially because this isn’t happening far away. This is happening right here in El Paso.”
Gamillo says the 5K race was created not just for running, but to educate, build awareness and to “stand up against this heinous crime.”
Kim is now a speaker, author, advocate and movie producer, spreading her story around the world and in films, like Eden.
They’re raising funds for Paso Del Norte Center of Hope, who are dedicated to helping victims and survivors of human trafficking.
It’s a family friendly event starting at 8 a.m. but the race kicks off at 8:30 a.m.
The event is free and open to the community with music, vendors, and more activities.
You can still register all the way through Sunday, runners are currently charged a fee of $35, more details on the event can be found on their website, here.