Community Corner

Walkers Needed for Montgomery 5K to Fight Child Trafficking

The SCTNow 5K Walk/Run 2011 will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Lakewood Creek Elementary School in Montgomery.

Carolyna Castaneda was reading the newspaper when she came across an article about the sex trafficking and child abuse of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl by her mother.

“I was horrified by it,” the Montgomery resident said.

The more she read about the case, including the child’s subsequent murder, the more Castaneda felt compelled to act. She contacted the Stop Child Trafficking Now organization and asked how she could get involved.

In 2009, she became a community ambassador for the organization, and last year helped coordinate the SCTNow 5K Walk/Run in Oswego, which had more than 100 participants and raised just over $3,000.

This year, the run is in her home village, and her goal is to get 300 participants. The SCTNow 5K Walk/Run 2011 will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at in Montgomery. Registration is free, but there is a suggested fundraising minimum of $100.

The third annual National Walk/Run Campaign will be one of 33 events held across the country to help bring an end to child sex slavery.

Castaneda said there is a misperception by some that child trafficking is not happening in this area. But in reality, Chicago is actually fifth in the nation for the crime.

“It’s considered one of the top hubs,” Castaneda said. “People travel in and out of Chicago daily from this area.”

The money raised through SCTNow events such as the 5K Walk/Run is used to stop child trafficking by targeting the source: the predators who drive the sex industry. SCTNow "partners with specially-trained operatives familiar with what it takes to infiltrate, investigate and bring to justice the predators victimizing children worldwide," according to its website.

“A lot of times now you have so many police officers being laid off that (police departments) don’t have the manpower to make sure they have a strong case,” Castaneda said. “(Those working with SCTNow can) make sure when they go after pedophiles, there’s a very solid case to put these predators away for a long time.”

Castaneda hopes to see a good turnout for this year’s fundraiser.

“I want to make this event bigger every year and get more people aware of what is going on and affecting our children,” she said.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and registered as a participant. The event will include several family-friendly activities, including a bounce house for children and face painting.

The will help issue child identification kits which will include the child’s picture, fingerprints, and voice recording.

Castaneda hopes the 5K Walk/Run will get more people get involved with SCTNow.

“Then we can hold more events and do a lot of different fundraisers,” Castaneda said.

For more information, contact Castaneda at Montgomery@sctnow.org, or visit the event’s website.


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