Kathy Gray works with a non-profit organization called Not For Sale. One Step At A Time. The group will host a walk called, Walk For Freedom. This year, the walk will be hosted on Saturday, October 20 along Main St. beginning at Bitzer Park in North Canton. This local walk is a part of a global phenomenon that spans 50 countries annually. On October 20 – hundreds of thousands of people will silently Walk For Freedom and display an outward expression of an inward desire to free every single slave on the planet.

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Human trafficking is modern-day slavery – it’s the illegal trade of humans for their bodies or for labor. It is forced, barbaric and inhumane in every way. The human trafficking industry generates $150 billion (US) dollars every year. The state of Ohio is ranked #4 for human trafficking, behind the states of California, Texas, and Florida.

Registration and pre-walk activities will be held at Hoover Park’s enclosed pavilion and patio area beginning at 9 AM. They will be providing free coffee and water, along with snacks before and after the walk. Parking will be available at the track or across the street, only a few minutes from the pavilion.

Local anti-trafficking organizations will be present on the day of the walk to share more information about their mission and how you can get involved.

There will also be a few special guests including local law enforcement and a human trafficking survivor, sharing information on what’s happening in our area.

The walk begins starting from the Pavilion, passing through a tunnel that goes underneath East Maple St., around the campus of Walsh University, then on a sidewalk that runs along East Maple St. This will lead us back through the tunnel and to the Pavilion where the walk will end. Upon conclusion of the event, there will be a short celebration and picture-taking opportunities at ar photo booth (which will also be open for pictures before the walk).