SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (June 12, 2015) – Not For Sale, a global nonprofit organization committed to the fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery, today launched the Not For Sale Throwdown, which encourages participants to work for free for a day so others can be free forever.
There are 30 million slaves in the world today, more than at any point in history, with annual trafficking profits totaling more than $150 billion. After the international drug trade, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second-largest criminal industry in the world. The Throwdown will help Not For Sale to address these staggering numbers, serving more communities threatened by slavery and exploitation, while also supporting the expansion of the vital services it provides to survivors and those at risk of exploitation.
“We’re asking selfless people from all walks of life to choose action over hope in the fight against modern-day slavery. Slavery is all around us, from our favorite restaurants to our beloved electronics and the clothes in our closets,” said Mark Wexler, co-founder of Not For Sale. “We believe the Throwdown has the potential to create a widespread modern-day abolitionist movement. On the heels of several innovative nonprofit campaigns in recent years, the Throwdown offers tangible, scalable resources for trafficking survivors and at-risk communities, with the compelling but simple ask to ‘work free for a day, so others can be free for a lifetime.’”
In 2014, Not For Sale protected, equipped and empowered 4,469 people of all ages across the globe. Not For Sale starts by providing survivors and at-risk communities with shelter, healthcare and legal services, first attending to the most basic needs of those who have suffered extreme trauma. The organization then strives to empower individuals by providing education, and job- and life-skills training. Finally, Not For Sale works with leading companies and organizations to create long-term employment opportunities for survivors and at-risk communities.
Several notable leaders in business, entertainment and sports have already committed to participating in the Throwdown, including:
Business & Entertainment Notables:
• Jaimie Alexander, actress, “Thor,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
• Jonathan Jackson, actor, “General Hospital,” “Nashville”
• Lloyd H Dean, president and CEO, Dignity Health
• Bernita McTernan, senior vice president, Dignity Health
• Lenny Mendonca, director emeritus, McKinsey & Co
• Clinton Sparks, DJ, music producer, artist
• Richard Lui, journalist and news anchor, MSNBC
• Oliver Trevena, host, Young Hollywood
Professional Athletes:
• Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Chase Headley, New York Yankees
• Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants
• Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants
• Jeremy Affeldt, San Francisco Giants
• AJ Ellis, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Cliff Pennington, Arizona Diamondbacks
• Gavin Floyd, Cleveland Indians
• Justin Masterson, Boston Red Sox
• Nick Hundley, Colorado Rockies
• Brad Boxberger, Tampa Bay Rays
• Mark Sappington, Arkansas Travelers
• Khari Stephenson, San Jose Earthquakes
• Darrell Stuckey, San Diego Chargers
“Before getting involved with Not For Sale, my wife, Larisa, and I both thought slavery had ended with the Emancipation Proclamation. That was five years ago, and since then, I’ve felt compelled to educate others by cutting through the secrecy that surrounds modern-day slavery.” said Jeremy Affeldt, a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. “I’ve visited Thailand and met some of the children saved by Not For Sale, and witnessed their shining potential first-hand. That trip and my involvement with Not For Sale drove me to recruit other athletes, both professional and amateur, to take up the cause. Every child should be free to play, dream and grow up in a world where nobody is for sale.”
Throwdown funds will help to expand Not For Sale’s work with survivors and at-risk populations in the United States, the Netherlands, Romania and Thailand. For example:
• $60 can help to support the education of a child at the Not For Sale home in Thailand
• $515 can help to provide safe housing for vulnerable and exploited children in Romania and
• $5,000 can help to support a young survivor of sexual exploitation in the United States to reinvent her life via work-readiness and life-skills training and an internship at a local business.
“As the leader of a corporation, I believe that it’s my responsibility to lend a voice to those who cannot be heard,” said Lloyd Dean, CEO of Dignity Health with roots in San Francisco. “By donating to Not For Sale, I strive to set a good example for my colleagues, as well as for other corporate executives. It’s my hope that America’s businessmen and women can help survivors to realize their dreams and pursue their passions as we all have, free of chains.”
Anyone can join the Throwdown. People from all income levels and walks of life have already committed one day’s pay to protect people and communities around the world from human trafficking. Donations that are greater or less than a day’s wage will also make an enormous difference to Not For Sale’s work and will be most gratefully accepted.
To learn more about the Throwdown, or to invest in a world free of slavery, please visit NotForSaleCampaign.org/Throwdown and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Not For Sale
In 2000, Dave Batstone discovered that his favorite Bay Area restaurant had been the center of a local human trafficking ring that forcefully brought hundreds of teenagers from India into the United States. He realized this was part of a growing international issue affecting every industry and corner of the earth. From there, Batstone wrote the book Not For Sale in 2007, and Not For Sale was born.
Not For Sale has grown into a team of 15 in San Francisco and over 30 worldwide. We manage social impact programs on the ground; monitor, measure, and assess the depth and breadth of our impact; tell stories to connect you to the world’s most vulnerable people; and create meaningful relationships with people, communities and companies. Since 2007, Not For Sale has served more than 10,000 vulnerable and exploited people on four continents.
Roger Arrieta
