Our Race for CAASE team has come together, and we are
already impressed by their dedication to training, fundraising, and spreading
the word about ending sex trafficking and sexual assault.
On September 9, 2012, there are 32 runners who will be racing
in the Chicago Half Marathon to raise support for all of CAASE’s work. So far,
they’re off to an incredible start—rallying to train and fundraise. With an
overall goal of $17,000 and over $7,000 raised so far, the team is already well over
1/3 of the way there.
Racing 13.1 miles to end sexual exploitation is a big
commitment. You can support the team by visiting their page here and making a donation. You can boost an individual runner’s goal by giving through their
personal pages, or you can give to the effort in general here.
So who are some of these runners? We interviewed a few of
CAASE’s interns who will be running the Half Marathon so you can see yourself!
Name: Kendra Harding
Age: 23
Age: 23
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Occupation: Student/Intern at CAASE
Running
Experience: I have run 5Ks and 10Ks for
the past 7 years. I also ran my first Half-Marathon last January.
How
did you find out about CAASE?
I was
reading Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd of GEMS and on the back I saw a reference
to CAASE. I immediately Googled it and learned everything I could about it.
Why
is running for CAASE important to you?
I think
CAASE is an amazing organization and I think it’s important that I support it
because it has a lot of the same beliefs about society that I do. Plus, I love
running.
__
Name:
Rachel Johnson
Age:
27
Hometown:
Oak Park, Illinois
Occupation:
Law student/Legal intern at CAASE
Running
Experience: Elementary school gym class.
How
did you find out about CAASE? Through
working in the public interest legal company. Also, my mentor at law school
interned here.
Is
there any specific part of CAASE’s work/mission that interests you the most?
I would
say in general, I really love CAASE’s holistic approach to ending demand in
sexual exploitation through educational policy and legal policy. But as a law
student, I’m specifically interested in how CAASE uses the law to promote
equality and end sexual exploitation.
Why
is running for CAASE important to you?
I believe in the work that we do here and
I believe in the community here. I want to support it through academic and
volunteer work, but also financially and with team effort.
__
Name:
Margaret Livingston
Age:
26
Hometown:
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Occupation:
Student/Legal Intern at CAASE
Running
Experience: On and off.
How
did you find out about CAASE? Lynne Johnson, CAASE's Policy and Advocacy Director, spoke at the Organization of Women and
Trade at John Marshall Law School in the fall, and after I heard her speak I just hounded
them in the fall to see when they were taking applications.
Is
there any specific part of CAASE’s work/mission that interests you the most?
The
Sexual Assault Justice Project. That’s what I work on and that’s really
important because a lot of people who would otherwise have no access to legal
aid or might be deterred from seeking justice can find a legal advocate here. I
also think that the End Demand campaign is extremely important.
Why
is running for CAASE important to you?
I
thought it’d be a really fun way to get to know people outside of the office. The
legal work can be challenging but fulfilling, and I wanted to continue
challenging myself outside of my work life.
Want to support the Race for
CAASE Team? Visit their Razoo team fundraising page here, and share with a friend!
This post is by Sasha Wolff, CAASE's communications intern.
