'Price of Life' event at Ohio Union addresses growing sex trafficking problem

Each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the U.S., with an estimated 200,000 children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry, according to a 2004 U.S. Department of Justice report.

In response to this social problem, Ohio State hosted the "Price of Life" invitational kickoff event Sunday afternoon at the Ohio Union.

"Human trafficking is a giant, growing issue, and people don't realize just how big an issue it really is," said Jami Holzaepfel, "Parade of Tears" chairwoman. "There's a serious need to heighten awareness on both an individual and a national level, and there's no better place to do this than on a college campus."

Holzaepfel, 26, said it was the first time the event had been held at OSU, but she expressed hope that it would happen annually.

Guest speakers included the Rev. Joel King; Ben Anthony, an OSU student and president of Undergraduate Student Government; York Moore, national campaign director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA; and David Batstone, founder and president of Not for Sale.

"I didn't go out looking for this cause," Batstone said. "It found me, just like all of the other things in my life that I care deeply about."

Batstone said that the event was not just about awareness but about engagement.

Singer Heather Evans of Columbus sung her support for the cause, performing original songs such as "Awaken me" and "Priceless," a song about human trafficking.

"I knew that I wanted to do something to contribute to the cause, but as a musician, I wasn't sure what I could do," said Evans, a 23-year-old mother-to-be. "That's when I wrote ‘Priceless' and decided to use my voice to try and make a difference."

Each speaker stressed the need for student involvement and referenced the historic significance of student movements.

"I believe that here on this campus, in this community, is the next generation of abolitionists," Moore said. "We can take a stand against the laziness and tolerance that allows us to turn a blind eye."

"The modern day slave trade is an insidious evil, and it demonstrates to us the reality of the darkness of the human heart."

Joel King, the first cousin of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke of his cousin's plight and the brave students who followed him in the search for justice. Emphasizing a present need for actions as courageous as his cousin's, King spoke of a world of possibilities.

"You students underestimate what God has given you," Batstone said. "You must be the embodiment of justice where there is no justice."

Speakers said students have more power than they think, and it is their duty to take a stand for those who can't.

The Parade of Tears marked the midpoint of the rally. Students, parents, volunteers and members of numerous organizations, including the Columbus Crisis Commission for Haiti, marched hand in hand in a symbolic demonstration.

"This is a parade of tears, of suffering, of injustice, but it is also a parade of courage and celebration of those who take a stand," Moore said. "We march together across all kinds of lines that typically divide, for a common cause."

The OSU Price of Life campaign will continue through Friday with events held daily at various campus locations. Those events will include a town hall meeting, dance performances and information sessions.

Columbus volunteer Christi Moore sees no limit to her involvement. With the help of Evans and four other acts, she held her own anti-human trafficking concert at the Travonna Coffee House, independently raising nearly $600 for the cause.

"Many of the organizations involved in this fight are Christian organizations, but I wanted to do something that was representative of diversity in every sense," said Christi, 23, of Columbus. "Human trafficking is not an issue that is limited to any one religion or race."

The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA organized the Price of Life kickoff. The event was sponsored by World Vision, Not for Sale and International Justice Mission.