Run to Raise Cash Against Human Trafficking

BEMIDJI (AP) — Seven students from St. Cloud State University are planning a 221-mile run across Minnesota to raise awareness in the fight against human trafficking.

The students will begin Sunday in Watertown, S.D., and end in Prescott, Wis., on July 4.

One of the runners is 22-year-old Courtney Passa of Bemidji. She says she's not a practiced long-distance runner but she's willing to make herself temporarily uncomfortable to help those who are suffering daily.

Each runner is raising nearly $2,600. The money will be donated to a group that works in southeast Asia, where human trafficking of underage girls has been a growing problem.

Along the run the students will stay at churches and visit community groups to rally support for the cause.