Saved in America’s first annual #ChildSavedNotSold Recovery Operation fundraising dinner took place on February 25th at the Grand Sierra Resort Hotel in Reno, Nevada, according to a Nevada News piece that covered the event. Mark A. Morgan was the keynote speaker and the purpose of the night, in addition to fundraising for SIA, was to bring awareness to how the border is rapidly fueling smuggling terror throughout the nation.

There’s a Reason to Celebrate

While the news looks grim in terms of how human trafficking is growing expediently throughout the nation, perpetuated by a border crisis, the fundraising event also shared some success stories featuring two 14-year-old teenagers who experienced a successful rescue out of a dire trafficking situation. One story is from the now young adult herself who tells her story of how she was abused from the age of 14 and then rescued from that abuse. The other story is from the mother’s perspective telling her 14-year-old daughter Hannah’s story about how she too was part of the human trafficking industry and was rescued. Saved in America of course had a big part in the success of both these cases, along with officials from the FBI, the Office of the US Marshals, and even law enforcement officers across the border in Mexico. As part of the dinner, SIA will honor and reward those who helped in the rescue effort to bring Hannah back to her mother. 

Detective Zendejas of the Sparks Police Department explains the role SIA played in returning Hannah to safety:

“Saved in America was instrumental in the recovery of the 14-year-old Hannah from Sparks, a complicated affair with multiple agencies and countries. The evidence she provided led our district attorney to prosecute her stalker as a felon.”

A Night to Look Back and Dream of the Future

More than anything else, these fundraiser dinners are opportunities to look back at what has been accomplished, from that point. However, it is also a great time to look forward to the future and dream of what could be possible with the additional funds and help needed to change the scope of the human trafficking industry within America’s borders. This is the dream of SIA and why fundraising dinners like this one in Reno are so vital to the organization’s continued efforts.