Thirteen seniors at Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria organized a human trafficking awareness campaign around the Final Four, the NCAA basketball finals at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis April 6-8.
“Someone who is sold or sexually exploited is not … receiving the dignity and the respect that they deserve,” said Carly Hilgers, a senior and a member of the school’s Leadership Institute group that organized the campaign. “I thought it would be a good idea for our LI group to advertise the rise in number of cases during the Final Four time in Minneapolis, also.”
News outlets from recent Final Four host sites such as San Antonio and Indianapolis reported increased attention by law enforcement to human trafficking.
The Leadership Institute at Holy Family is a four-year, required program. With a group, seniors complete a capstone project designed to improve the school community or support a cause.
Hilgers and her group launched their social media campaign for the week of the Final Four, capping efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking they began in late February. The campaign features images and messages about human trafficking on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. The hashtag #humansarenotforsale is being used for the campaign, which runs through April 8.
The students also raised $1,000 at a tamales fundraiser in February as a benefit for Breaking Free, a St. Paul-based anti-human trafficking nonprofit. On March 21, LI members presented information on human trafficking to all of the students at the high school. The seniors also asked students to wear purple April 2, honoring Breaking Free’s signature color.
