Broken Arrow 'Walk For Freedom' Raises Awareness For Human Trafficking

The A21 Walk for Freedom is an annual event that works to bring awareness to human trafficking.

AnnMarie Hayden is one of the organizers for the event. She wants people to understand human trafficking can happen anywhere — including Oklahoma.

“We have a lot of homeless, we have a lot of people that are in poverty, families that are broken,” she said. 

She says that where vulnerabilities exist, the possibilities exist for human trafficking

She knows because she is a survivor herself.

“Poverty was a reality, physical abuse, mental abuse was a reality, and all those things led to a little girl who was very vulnerable and looking for love,” Hayden said. 

Organizer Deborah Engles knows another vulnerable little girl who fell into the wrong hands through social media… her granddaughter – who was ten at the time.

“A trafficker was reaching out to her, making comments, wanting her to send him photos of herself,” she said. 

She says that's why the education aspect of the event is so important to her, because she doesn't want others to go through what her and family went through.

Here, there are opportunities for people to learn how to identify it, report it, and access resources. 

“Whenever you have somebody that is intent in hurting your child, you become just as intent in their protection,” Engles said. 

AnnMarie became educated about what exactly happened to her at this exact event 5 years ago.

“I was able to put names to it and begin my healing and that happened because I showed up," she said. 

And she wants people to know that freedom is possible, and, no matter how many steps it takes, they’re not going to stop until it’s possible for everyone.