Man running cross country to raise human trafficking awareness

Malley Jones
·2 min read

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KSNW) — Andrew Linder is running from Santa Monica Pier, California, to Central Park in New York City with a 15-pound weighted vest to raise awareness for human trafficking.

“I just want people to know this happens in every zip code in America, and it’s a lot more prominent than people think,” Linder said. “Sometimes, we think maybe it happens in other countries or maybe it happens in only poor areas, but it literally happens in every single zip code in America.”

He passed through Kansas towns such as Hutchinson, Ottawa, and Emporia in April. His halfway point was near Emporia.

“I knew I was gonna have bumps and bruises,” Linder said. “I knew I was gonna deal with some pain throughout this, but this really is so little compared to what the victims go through. And just knowing that mentally every day, I just take this one step and one day at a time.”

Linder is a police officer in Washington, D.C.

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“This was the reason behind me joining law enforcement in the first place,” Linder said. “I wanted to go after some of the worst people on the planet.”

He is also raising money for Sisters Rising Worldwide.

“I wanna be able to give a voice to people who don’t and help the victims and help people affected by this crime as much as I can,” Linder said.

Each day, he runs about 42 miles. Every four miles, he stops to refuel. Five of his friends are helping him along the way and plan out his route.

“I have an amazing group of people around me that help fuel me and take care of me every single step of the way,” Linder said. “This is possible because of those people. Allowing you guys to see the message, see what we’re doing, and also keep me mentally, physically and emotionally strong.”

He started on March 1 and will end on May 18. He began running just two years ago and has run ultra-marathons and 100-mile races leading up to his 3,100 journeys across the country.

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