Great Idea: Pilates for Hope

by Amanda Kloer

categories: Human Trafficking Awareness, Human Trafficking in the US

Published October 30, 2009 @ 07:00AM PT

I love it when people smarter and more creative than me have great ideas and post them on the inter-webs. That means I get to share those ideas with (and hopefully inspire) you! And some of my favorite ideas are when people turn their skills and passions into fundraisers for human trafficking. A couple months ago, we met a woman whose love of baking pies helped her fight slavery. And next week, an LA-based pilates studio will team up with Project Exodus for Pilates for Hope to raise money and awareness for human trafficking. Now I'm the kinda gal who chooses pie over pilates every time (to my belts' detriment), but an exercise-based fundraiser is great idea for a number of reasons.

First of all, Pilates for Hope is the sort of event you can duplicate in your town with a local fitness club or studio -- whether it's pilates, yoga, kickboxing, kung fu, spinning, or synchronized swimming. One of the great components of this fundraiser is that it offers private instruction. This is a tempting offer for novices like me, who are worried about showing up to a group class where everyone has her legs around her head and panicking that I can barely touch my toes. Plus, the lure of private instruction in any new activity can entice people new to both the exercise and the issue. And this fundraiser also offers massages and other treats to get people in the door.

But perhaps the most creative and practical part of this fundraiser is the way they involved a community partner that, on the surface, has nothing to do with human trafficking. At least, I've never heard of a trafficked pilates instructor before. By including community partners that can become invested in this issue, you are broadening your potential audience. You're also helping to draw attention to a local business. So really, everyone wins in this model of fundraising.

Putting together a succesful fundraiser is not a blindfolded and barefoot trip up Kilimajaro. It does take a little work and dedication, but it's a very attainable goal. Attainable like finishing your first pilates class or baking a delicious pie. And it's a goal that, when you reach it, feels great to more than just you. It feels great to all the abolitionists working to end human trafficking who rely on your innovation and support to continue to free slaves.

Photo credit: khatawat