Communities across the United States this week held events in conjunction with The Red Sand Project — a movement where art intersects with awareness.
Rep. Brenda Pugh, R-Dallas Township, attended an event on Wednesday in Harrisburg where participants poured red sand into sidewalk cracks as a symbolic awareness for human trafficking victims and the people who can fall through the cracks of society.
“I was honored to participate in the event in Harrisburg,” Pugh said. “The Red Sand Project brings awareness to this very serious issue. Cooperation between local, state and federal officials, as well as local organizations and employers, is imperative to stopping human trafficking.”
Pugh said she will sponsor a human trafficking seminar on Aug. 14 in her district.
“I’m hosting a human trafficking seminar to educate parents and grandparents on how our children are being trafficked while online,” Pugh said.
The Red Sand Project website states that more than 27 million people are in situations of forced labor on any given day around the world.
Also, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received over 600 calls from Pennsylvania last year.
The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Institute says at least 51 defendants were charged in criminal cases related to sex trafficking in 2024.
Pugh said she will host the event — “Behind the Screen: How to Protect Your Children from Human Trafficking in a Digital World” — on Thursday, Aug. 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dallas Area High School, 2030 Conyngham Ave., Dallas.
“Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the nation, and children are frequently being victimized right in their own homes, often via the internet,” Pugh said. “We are holding this event to help parents, grandparents and others in the community learn how to recognize and combat this crime. Parents are encouraged to bring their teenage children to begin these difficult discussions, but be aware that this subject matter is not recommended for young children.”
Pugh said attending the Aug. 14 event will be Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday; Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce; Tom Mosca, co-chair of the NEPA Task Force against Human Trafficking; and Chaz Balogh of ourrescue.org and handler for Spike, a K9 electronic scent detection dog.