Walk to raise human trafficking awareness at Gurnee Mills Saturday
People dressed in black will silently march at Gurnee Mills Saturday as part of a worldwide effort to bring attention to human trafficking.
The illegal trade of people for their bodies and labor is happening in Lake County and raising awareness is one way to stop it, said Shea Needham, coordinator for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office Human Trafficking Task Force co-hosting the Walk For Freedom.
“The short answer is that it is everywhere, there's no place where it is not happening,” Needham said of human trafficking.
That message is echoed by A21, an Australia-based organization whose goal is to abolish slavery in the 21st century and which hosted the first Walk For Freedom 15 years ago. The group claims more people are being exploited for their bodies and labor now than at any point in history.
Needham said she's taken part in previous Walk For Freedom events in Chicago and Springfield and found walking in silence with so many others to bring attention to victims was a powerful experience.
The walk at Gurnee Mills is among many community-awareness events the human trafficking task force has been part of since its founding in 2021. Needham said the task force has given talks about human trafficking at local churches and groups.
It also seeks to facilitate cooperation between Lake County organizations to help identify and provide resources to victims of human trafficking, Needham said.
This is the first Walk For Freedom to be held at Gurnee Mills. Needham said the mall's leadership has been a great partner.
Needham said a previous Walk For Freedom was held in Wauconda and the organizers there agreed to join with Gurnee.
Registration for the walk begins at 11 a.m. in Parking Lot E on the east side of the mall near Bass Pro Shops and Value City Furniture. There will be opening remarks around 12:15 p.m. and then walkers will step off in silence around 12:30 p.m. If the weather is fair, the group will walk in single file around the perimeter of the mall. If it rains, the walk will move inside the mall, Needham said.
After the walk, there will be time for reflection and discussion. Needham said the initial plan was for there to be a community resource fair afterward but organizers canceled that because of the weather forecast.