By Mazie Vincent FAYETTEVILLE Ark. “I think it’s easy to look at this it and think it’s way too big to help or make a difference and I think that the heart behind Pedal the Pacific is to be a voice for the voiceless,” Carranza said.
Mattie Carranza is one of a handful of University of Arkansas students participating in Pedal the Pacific’s annual bike ride to raise money and awareness of human trafficking.
“If we recognize as people, that those are someones children, someones sister, someones brother or someones loved one, I think we can have a better picture of what it looks like to love each other in our own community,” she said.
As the trip inches closer, Carranza says hearing survivor stories and gaining support from others is what she’s looking forward to most.
“I think that realizing it more and more will be incredibly difficult but incredibly rewarding as we see people joining and partnering with us as we head down the coast,” Carranza said.
Mattie believes there’s not enough reasons so say no to this and says the first step towards change is awareness.
“We would have a greater perspective of what it means to love one another and love the people that don’t have freedom, because we deserve that as humans and individuals to have that freedom and to celebrate that and fight for it for one another,” she said.
The team plans on cycling 60 miles a day with hopes of raising $250,000.