Ashlie Bryant,
ashlie@runforcourage.org

July 20, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Target Audience:
El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Placerville, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova, Roseville and Sacramento area families, students, retirement and leisure communities.

Notes to Editor:
Please consider running this release as well as dates in your calendar section through October 2, 2010.  Thank you.

Registration Open: 5 and 10K Run For Courage Race Benefits Local Youth Victimized by Sex Trafficking

(Folsom, CA) The beautiful Parkway in Folsom will be the venue for a 5K run/walk and a 10K run to be held at 8am on Saturday, October 2nd benefiting Courage To Be You, Inc. (C2BU). C2BU is a non-profit organization with a passion to assist in the rescue of children from the heinous crime of sex trafficking, a growing problem in the Sacramento area and across the country.

Don’t believe sex trafficking happens in our area?  “Two years ago our 17 year-old daughter was picked up at the local grocery store in El Dorado County, taken to a motel in the Bay Area, drugged, pimped out through ads on Craigslist, and repeatedly raped by men looking for sex with under-age girls. Thankfully, my daughter was rescued.  But 250,000 to 800,000 thousand American children are at risk and may currently be living under the same conditions my daughter experienced,” said Vicki Zito.  The case numbers are staggering. According to the FBI, the Sacramento area ranks in the top 15 metropolitan areas for the sexual exploitation of children via Craigslist. These children are invisible and forgotten, left to the mercy of adults who exploit their bodies for a profit.  Unless someone intervenes, unless someone believes in them, they will remain lost and alone.

C2BU desires to equip, encourage, and empower these children to discover their true identity and fulfill their God-given purpose, for they were “created on purpose for a purpose.”™ C2BU recognizes these children need a safe place to belong and be valued.  They need a home and comprehensive services to help them transition and heal from their victimization. Courage To Be You, Inc. is building Courage House–a safe home for these victims. Property and an initial home have been purchased in Northern California and the Courage House will soon welcome six of these precious children through its doors. C2BU plans to have space for seventy children in the near future, but needs funding to accomplish this goal. All proceeds from the race will directly benefit the C2BU mission.

This run, organized by a group of parents in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, hopes to register over 1000 runners, all of whom will make a difference in the lives of these children. “What began as a prayer for how to help these victims  has evolved into a wonderful event that will be fun for the entire family,” says Ashlie Bryant, Race Director.  Parents and children can register online for the October 2nd, 8 am walk/race at www.runforcourage.org. More details about C2BU and its mission can also be found online at www.c2bu.com.  Will you join us?