The 5th Annual Celebrating Life Unity Breakfast on February 8th will focus on the tragic reality of human trafficking, a form of modern day slavery. This event is the first time this issue will have been discussed at a public forum of this size in the area.
Exploitation is at the heart of human trafficking. In the case of sex trafficking, the primary focus of this event, exploitation implies the forced prostitution or sexual abuse of vulnerable men, women and children. Sadly, our collar counties are seeing a rise in such cases. Crystal Lake, McHenry and Algonquin have seen prostitution arrests at massage parlors, child porn distribution arrests and even a former McHenry County Sheriff plea bargaining for 30 years in prison for child abuse and sexual exploitation including child pornography all within the last three months!
The breakfast will feature a keynote presentation by Laila Mickelwait of Exodus Cry, an organization dedicated to eradicating sex trafficking at its root causes and addressing the societal factors that allow this modern day slavery to exist.
Attendees will learn about this devastating injustice, what it looks like and what to do if they see it. There will also be a panel discussion on how we can take action to stop this injustice and eliminate this victimization of women and children. The panel will feature constructive dialog and solutions by Laila Mickelwait, State Senator Karen McConnaughay, and college student activist Ben Anderson.
“This year we want to do more than simply raise awareness of this heartbreaking plague on our society,” explained Joe Edwards, President of Patriots United. “We will learn how to draw a line in the sand, working with law enforcement, legislators, clergy and citizen activists to declare our counties ‘NO Tolerance Zones’ for this despicable trade. Together, we can make a difference.”
The event will take place on Saturday, February 8th, at D’Andrea Banquets in Crystal Lake, IL. Registration begins at 7:30 AM and the program runs from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Breakfast will be provided for attendees.
Register Today! Click HERE to register. Tickets for this great event are $25/person for those who register online by February 5th or $30/person at the door (overflow will be limited).
