Michael Phillips is an ultra-cyclist. He’s also a Worthwhile Wear Ambassador. By joining those roles, Phillips hopes to raise awareness about human trafficking through the “Act Challenge.”
This month, Phillips visited the Worthwhile Thrift store in Plumsteadville to take a 50-mile training ride with the store’s founder, Dan Emr, as he prepares for the “Race Across America” and its partnership with “Act Challenge.”
The men also helped kick off Plumstead Christian School’s participation in the fundraiser that will support Worthwhile Wear’s ongoing efforts to restore the lives of survivors of human trafficking. More than 375 students and faculty members from the school are participating, organizers said.
Emr founded the nonprofit store in 2014 to establish a comprehensive range of services for survivors in Pennsylvania. Today, the organization operates on a $3.5 million budget with a second store in Collegeville and a third store on the way.
The May 3 training ride coincided with “World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.” People across the country are invited to walk, bike, run, swim or even kayak to support survivors of human trafficking, as they join “Act Challenge.”
“Often, when people learn about the issue of human trafficking, they feel defeated or overwhelmed, but we love to share that there is hope,” said Emr, in a statement.
“You don’t need to be an ultra-cyclist racing across America to raise awareness, everyone, everywhere can join with us in this important effort and together we can act to let survivors know that they are worthwhile,” he added.
The big race will see Phillips, along with 28 other elite cyclists, take a 3,000-mile ride from Oceanside, CA, to Atlantic City, N.J. between June 11 and June 23.
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