Buffalo Leader Plan To Walk 902 Miles

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Walking 902 miles sounds like a crazy plan for people to do it but in this case you would be crazy not to do it!

Kelly Galloway is a leader on the mission to raise awareness about human trafficking by walking 902 miles.

According to the International Labour Organization, human trafficking globally generates $150 billion annually. A 2019 report by the State Department identifies the U.S. as one of the world's worst places for human trafficking. Since the global COVID-19 pandemic began, there has been an increase in human trafficking cases in the United States. Galloway says extreme measures to build awareness about human trafficking are necessary to help end it.

“There is a war on human trafficking, and The FreeTHEM Center, along with Project Mona’s House, is committed to winning,” said Galloway. Through existing programs by Project Mona’s House, we offer webinars, meetings, and a film that we created to explain the seriousness of human trafficking in the United States. Unfortunately, many people are still uninformed about what it is, how to identify traffickers, and where victims can get help. We believe we can see human trafficking eradicated in our lifetime. We know we can help prevent it by educating others. For that reason, The FreeTHEM Center’s first major act to raise awareness about human trafficking will be alongside Project Mona’s House in an extraordinary 902-mile journey called The FreeTHEM Walk.”

The FreeTHEM Walk will begin on May 3 in Lynchburg, Virginia, and travel to Buffalo, NY. Since human trafficking is modern-day slavery, this journey will mimic the Underground Railroad route with stops in nine cities. Each visit will pay homage to the abolitionists that fought to end slavery generations ago. The FreeTHEM Walk will travel to Richmond, Warrenton, Baltimore, Washington D.C, Philadelphia, NYC, Auburn, Rochester and end with a Juneteenth celebration in Buffalo on June 19. The organizations have collaborated with similar groups in those cities who will participate throughout this journey. Some will walk through cities and states, and some will walk a few miles. Galloway will walk the entire route.

The Route

Galloway and team of walkers are walking nearly 1,000 miles on the Underground Railroad to help raise awareness about modern day slavery, better known as human trafficking. Each individual stop has its own story. The Underground Railroad featured stops where those who were enslaved at the time were able to seek out freedom. A few places along the stop consists of the following:

Appomattox Court House

This court house is famous because of the Battle of Appomattox Court House, the last battle to take place ending the Civil War. The house of Wilmer McLean, where the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia finally took place, is located in the village near the courthouse. The historical park was established in 1935 and was made a national monument just 5 years later. It was made a historical national park in 1954. It is located in Appomattox, VA, just under 30 miles away from Lynchburg.

White House of the Confederacy

It housed Jefferson Davis and his family several years after it was built in 1818. Now considered a national historic landmark, the tours they offer thoroughly explain the history and lives of the individuals who lived and worked there. The House of the Lost Cause, is one exhibit in particular that goes into great detail about the history of the Confederacy. Located in Richmond, VA, it was viewed as a counterpart to the White House for the Confederacy. The original White House of the Confederacy was located in Montgomery, Alabama. Jefferson Davis moved there in 1844 with his wife and they both lived there until the end of the Civil War.

These are just two of the stops along the way but you can find all the locations HERE

Joining Galloway for this meaningful mission is a team of walkers. Meet the FreeThem Walkers and learn about each of them HERE