Athlete Sponsorships to Benefit ‘Break the Chains’

Post a Comment » Written on June 24th, 2008     
Filed under: News
CHICAGO, IL (June 24, 2008) – Athletes can now raise funds to battle human trafficking by registering on the Break the Chains website to receive sponsorships.

After athletes have registered online, sponsors can donate through the website, says Ruth Hill, executive minister of Women Ministries, which is sponsoring the project. “People can encourage and support an athlete knowing that their donation also helps free people from slavery.”

Athletes from any sport can use the site, says Hill. Registrants or sponsors pledging at least $30 will receive a dri-mesh athletic shirt.

Boaz Johnson, an associate professor of biblical and theological studies at North Park University, has helped organize Break the Chains and encourages churches to consider holding their own events. The issue is deeply personal for Johnson, who grew up in the slums of New Dehli. Some of his friends were snatched into slavery.

On Wednesday, organizers of the Chicago Marathon informed Hill that they had sanctioned Break the Chains as an official charity for their event. The designation will heighten the project’s visibility, Hill says.

Johnson will run in the October 12 event that attracts runners from all 50 states and 120 countries. Anyone interested in sponsoring Johnson can do so through the trafficking site or by checks made payable to the Break the Chains team with Boaz Johnson on the memo line. Checks should be mailed to Break the Chains, Evangelical Covenant Church, 5101 N. Francisco Ave., Chicago, IL, 60625.

Money raised through the project will help fund the work of the Hindustani Covenant Church (HCC) in India and International Justice Missions (IJM). The HCC is working to prevent people from being enslaved; IJM is rescuing and restoring those who are slaves, says Hill.

For more information, visit the Break the Chains team website.

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