As athletes, we are empowered everyday through our training and competition, both mentally and physically.  Every time we compete and progress towards a goal, we are becoming stronger.  Others don’t have this opportunity.  Rather than being empowered, they are being enslaved.  Can we come together as an empowered community of athletes this season and wear the RED X every time we compete in order to shine a light on the ugly truth of human trafficking that’s present in our own backyard?

Did you know that Florida is 3^rd in the nation for human trafficking, with Tampa Bay being at the top of the list?  Did you also know that . . .

• Hillsborough county has more strip clubs per capita than any other city in the US.
• We have more adult entertainment places than we have McDonald’s in the Tri-County area.
• There are human trafficking reports in ALL 50 states and DC.
• There are an estimated 60,100 people trapped in slavery in the United States RIGHT NOW; and 27,000,000 people are trapped in slavery around the world.
• An estimated 199,000 incidents of sexual exploitation of minors occur each year in the United States.  That’s one incident every 3 minutes.
• Globally, human trafficking generates $150.2 BILLION per year.  That’s more than the combined revenues of Amazon, Google and Ebay.

Buy a t-shirt, cycling jersey, triathlon kit or simply put a RED X on your body when you compete in order to open the conversation and empower others to make a difference too. 

To educate yourself on this issue, please click here for more resources.