In 2019, Tumbleweed announced they have already identified 89 young victims of trafficking in the City of Billings. MSUB and Zonta Club of Billings have come together to participate in an international effort to bring awareness to human trafficking with the Billings’ Red Sand Project.
The Billings community is also uniting to speak out and spread red sand as a statement, bringing awareness to human trafficking and modern day slavery happening in Billings. Businesses throughout Billings have been participating by spreading Red Sand in sidewalk cracks.
Billings’ Red Sand Project is a first for Billings and will culminate with an outdoor event called the Sand Trafficking Awareness Event April 25th at MSUB Peaks to Plains Park from noon to 2:00 p.m.
There will be no parking restrictions on campus for the day, allowing visitors to park wherever the want. Organizations throughout Billings and the state have been invited to attend this trafficking awareness event including students, legislators, local officials, non-profits, community members and businesses.
Representatives from the city council, FBI and state legislators as well as local organizations, Tumbleweed and survivors will speak. The event will close with the spreading of red sand on campus.
The Red Sand Project is an awareness exhibit that began with an artist wanting to start a conversation about trafficking. Her exhibit has spread to over 200,000 installations and events across the globe.
The average age a person enters into trafficking is 13 years old. Attendees of the event will learn the dangers and signs both off and on-line and hear about the affects of trafficking on our society, what to do and where to ask for help.
The event is sponsored by Zonta Club of Billings, Yellowstone County Human Trafficking Task Force and MSUB Women’s & Gender Studies.
Visit Red Sand Project at https://redsandproject.org/about/ for more details.
