Smile Politely

2016 C-U Aruna Run taking place May 7th

This event exists because there is a problem. Commercial Sexual Exploitation is a complex global issue affecting virtually every nation on earth. It is driven by numerous factors. When those factors converge, the results can be seen in one of the largest red light areas in South Asia. It’s name literally means “a place of pleasure” and it spreads over a number of city blocks keeping an estimated 15,000 women and girls languishing within the sex industry. Brutalized night after night, many of the exploited share a common belief: the only way out from this place is death.

The 3rd annual Champaign Aruna Run for Their Freedom will be held on May 7, 2016. This event will benefit the Aruna Project, an organization that brings and sustains freedom for the sexually exploited in South Asia.

We want to be a part of the solution. Through a relationally driven effort the Aruna Project exists to bring and sustain freedom to those exploited in the brothel system through employment marked by holistic care. By mobilizing thousands to take part in Aruna Runs across the US, we can bring freedom to the enslaved. By offering employment to those who have stepped into freedom, we can sustain their freedom and restore the liberating power of choice.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Aruna 5k to run for their freedom.

Date: May 7, 2016
Time: 8:30am Race registration, 10am Race start
Distance: 5K Location: University of Illinois Arboretum (Corner of Florida and Lincoln Ave) 2001 S. Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL 61802
Cost: $25

The first two CU Aruna Runs have raised over $34,000 for the Aruna Project. Participation has also grown quickly, with 192 participants in 2014 and 389 in 2015. We hope to see you there!

You can register and learn more here.

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