IT'S A PENALTY Kicks Off Global Campaign to End Human Trafficking Ahead of Super Bowl LIV

Campaign Encourages Fans and Public in Miami and Worldwide to 'Call. Text. Save lives!'

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Jan 09, 2020, 08:04 ET

MIAMI, Jan. 9 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, It's a Penalty launched its eighth global Super Bowl campaign focused on harnessing the power of sport to prevent abuse, exploitation and trafficking. Launched in collaboration with founding partner, A21, It's a Penalty's 2020 campaign is dedicated to educating sports fans and the general public on what classifies as human trafficking and the subsequent penalties tied to those offenses. Knowing that large events, such as the Super Bowl, can lead to increased instances of human trafficking due to an influx of visitors, the campaign aims to inform people not only on how to identify exploitation and trafficking, but also how to take action and report these breaches of freedom.

THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM

Children as young as 12 years old are being sold for sex in the U.S.¹
In Miami, there are documented cases of child sex trafficking as young as 13-years old.²
More than 100,000 children are sold for sex in the U.S. each year.³
83% of sex trafficking victims in the U.S. are U.S. citizens.⁴
Miami has the fourth highest rate of calls per capita made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2017.⁵
Florida as a state has the third highest rate of human trafficking cases reported.⁶

"These figures show that trafficking is still a real problem across the globe," said Sarah Carvalho, CEO, It's A Penalty. "This campaign is designed to progress us towards our and our partners' goal to eradicate abuse, exploitation and trafficking globally by 2030 together. We know from previous campaigns just how impactful they can be – including our largest yet in 2018 which reported that 81% of people felt more equipped to report human trafficking and exploitation after being exposed to the campaign."

The 2020 campaign is supported by renowned American Football players like Aaron Rodgers, Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton, Charles Harris and Jerome Baker. Each of the high-profile athletes lent their voice to help raise awareness via a 30-second campaign video which will be shown in-flight by American Airlines and British Airways on inbound flights to Miami with a potential to educate 39.2 million people worldwide. The film will also air in the terminals of Miami International Airport for the entire month of January, along with being broadcast on some of the top television networks spanning across sports, news and lifestyle. If viewers suspect they've encountered a case of human trafficking, the campaign video will encourage them to call 305-FIX-STOP or text BEFREE (233733) to make a report.

ADDITIONAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

A half-day summit with key stakeholders to launch the 2020 It's a Penalty Campaign on Jan. 9^th at 10 a.m. at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, featuring a keynote delivered by Attorney General Ashley Moody.
Starting Jan. 17th, 40 IHG hotels will display and distribute over 27,000 posters, leaflets, business cards, wristbands, and lip balms to guests and staff.
5,000 Uber drivers will display rearview tags with the National Human Trafficking Hotline and local Miami reporting hotline.
On Jan. 25th, 400 volunteers will come together, teaming up with SOAP Project, to assemble and distribute awareness kits to over 300 Miami hotels. Kits will be comprised of It's a Penalty campaign materials, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's list of missing children along with hotline information printed on bars of soap.
Hilton will also train their hotel staff and management to spot human trafficking across 60+ hotels and distribute IAP campaign materials.

ADDITIONAL KEY PARTNERS

Founding partner, A21, along with other major partnerships including: END IT Movement, N2GIVES, Malouf Foundation, Intercontinental Hotel Group, supported by Uber, Atlantic Broadband, Miami International Airport, Miami Chamber of Commerce, Sysdoc, AHLA, FRLA, Hilton Hotels, IJM, Forever Young Foundation, Hope for Freedom, and SOAP.
Super Bowl Host Committee, The Women's Fund Miami-Dade, Office of Miami-Dade State Attorney, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami Dolphins, and the NFL.
Local, state and federal agencies including the U.S Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, HSI, FBI, federal and local trafficking task forces, and over 400 local volunteers.
American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA).

To find out more about the charity campaign, its worldwide impact or to donate please visit http://www.itsapenalty.org/

Get social: Instagram: @its_apenalty - Twitter: @its_apenalty - Facebook: FB.com/itsapenaltycampaign

ABOUT IT'S A PENALTY
It's a Penalty's vision is to build a world in which no-one is vulnerable to abuse, exploitation or trafficking. Since 2014, It's a Penalty has been working to disrupt the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world: human trafficking and exploitation. We believe that prevention is even better than cure. As well as providing people with the tools to protect those who have been exploited or trafficked, It's a Penalty strives to prevent people from becoming victims of exploitation and trafficking in the first place. We believe that collaboration and partnership are essential in order to achieve our aims. It's a Penalty is able to have such incredible impact because of our collaboration with strategic stakeholders, such as high-profile sporting athletes, the travel and tourism industry – including airlines, hotels, and transportation companies – sporting governing bodies/hosting committees, NGOs, governments, and corporates.

RESOURCES
Media Kit - Containing campaign film, visual assets, etc.
2019 Campaign Impact Report

¹Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
²NBC Miami
³EPCAT-USA
⁴U.S. Department of Justice
^{5, 6}Polaris

SOURCE It's a Penalty