GORDONVILLE, Pa. — A Lancaster County cycling team will race 3,000 miles to raise money to fight sex trafficking.
Race Across America (RAAM) has raised more than $10 million for charities in the past five years, according to the organization’s website.
The eight-man relay team and 12 crew members are hoping to raise $250,000 for Zoe International, which helps victims of child sex trafficking in five countries: Thailand, the United States, Australia, Mexico and Japan.
The race runs from Oceanside, Ca. to Annapolis, Md. and is expected to take about five days for an 8-person team.
The Lancaster Co. team completed the race for the first time in 2019, winning third place.
“We did this in 2019, so that year we were a little naïve to what to expect. This year we know what to expect and the butterflies are starting to hit a little bit because we know how much this is going to hurt,” said Brad Ortenzi, Eastern USA director for Zoe International.
The team will leave Lancaster Co. early Tuesday morning to start the race on Saturday. They will take turns riding 24 hours a day.