GLENWOOD - When a speaker at a church event starting talking about human trafficking and the conditions of the countries where it's happening, it triggered something in Karl Pasche of Glenwood.
He thought of his five sisters.
"I couldn't imagine any of them being used as commodities," he said, adding that it brought home the horror of trafficking. People may not realize they are taking pleasure from someone else's pain," he said.
So Pasche decided to do something about it. He's riding a bicycle from Seattle, Washington to New York to support efforts in Southeast Asia that will combat human trafficking.
The organization Pasche and the other riders are bicycling for is Venture Expeditions for a charity called Just+Hope.
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The goal is to raise money to help churches in India, Burma, Indonesia and Thailand. These churches will create grass root efforts to stop human trafficking.
Each country has a different approach to help combat trafficking.
In India, they are creating sustainable farms so people do not need to leave the area.
In Indonesia and Thailand, they are focusing on education about trafficking so locals are aware of the dangers. Many of the people are not connected to the media and are unaware of the danger of trafficking surrounding them, Pasche noted.
In Burma, they are creating safe houses for women trafficked for prostitution. These safe houses will offer rehabilitation and help the women be reunited with their families.
The riders are mostly made up of college or post college students and they're coming from all over, from Tennessee and Colorado to right here in Minnesota.
There is also a father-son pair riding in the group.
The route is about 3,377 miles. Stops are planned from city to city. The riders will try to speak to church groups, local media and community groups about human trafficking.
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The group will be tenting or staying with families or churches while staying overnight. They will be wearing regular bike gear including a helmet, gloves and sunglasses. The group is not packing food but will be accompanied by a support van during their trip.
The trip will be about 55 days with rests and 40 days of bicycling. The riders have about three days of training while in Seattle. They will leave Seattle on June 20 and arrive in New York on August 9.
Pashke has a Facebook page devoted to his bicycle mission that states, "There are more slaves alive today than at any other time in human history. Do something to change that."
His 3,377-mile trip is a start.
