Intrepid Travel is rallying the global travel industry to take action against human trafficking by joining the Blue Dragon Marathon Walk this Sunday, 14 September.
The walk raises funds for Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, a long-time Intrepid Foundation partner working to rescue and support survivors of trafficking in Vietnam and beyond. Since 2018, Intrepid has helped raise over AU$1.5 million, directly impacting more than 51,900 lives.
This year, Intrepid sets its most ambitious target yet: AU$500,000. The Intrepid Foundation has already raised $212,349 through donors, travellers, Intrepid’s employees and industry partners.
All funds go directly to Blue Dragon, with Intrepid covering all admin costs.With every AU$350 that eligible participants raise, they’ll go in the draw to win an Intrepid trip of their choice, valued up to AUD 3,500.
Participants can sign up as individuals or as part of a team: https://bluedragonwalk.org/
Walkers in Melbourne, London, Copenhagen, Singapore, Bangkok and beyond will take part and funds raised will support Blue Dragon to provide rescue care, shelter, legal advocacy and long-term support for people affected by human trafficking while also working with local communities to prevent trafficking.
Darrell Wade, Intrepid’s co-founder and chairman, said: “At a simple level, the dollars raised are critical for Blue Dragon to continue its work. Without them, rescues and prevention slow down. What makes this walk so powerful is that just $500 reunites a survivor of trafficking with their loved ones and provides them everything they need to start over after slavery. It’s not often you can have such a dramatic, direct impact on a person’s life.”
Darrell will complete his eighth marathon in eight years, joined by Intrepid CEO James Thornton and Blue Dragon founder, Michael Brosowski, this time walking together in New York City to mark the global event.
Biheng Zhang, General Manager of The Intrepid Foundation, said: “Eight years on, the Blue Dragon Marathon Walk has become a powerful tradition for our community. And, this year, we’ve set our most ambitious goal yet – to raise half a million dollars. Vietnamese communities have always welcomed us with open hearts and generous hospitality. Supporting the marathon walk is our opportunity – as travellers and as an industry – to give back.”
Vietnam has long been one of Intrepid’s top-selling destinations, ranking as the number one destination for 2024.
Together with The Intrepid Foundation’s support, Blue Dragon has:
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Rescued 365 people from human trafficking
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Provided education and vocational support to 15,579 youth
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Trained 1,536 government officials on child rights and anti-trafficking
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Supported community-based prevention, legal advocacy, housing and family reunification
