EARLYSVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Saturday morning, Rivanna Community Church hosted its first-ever Race for Rescue to raise awareness about human trafficking.

The idea all started last summer when. Organizer, Catherine Nallon was reading an article on human trafficking. She then discovered Destiny Rescue, an international nonprofit that operates rescue, reintegration and prevention programs for children facing sexual exploitation and human trafficking. 

“I know there are so many of us out there that want to make a difference and shed light onto darkness. I feel that this organization you can trust, they have financial integrity, they are transparent. We know they are doing the good work and not just getting these girls out of trafficking but, they are also empowering them to start a new future,” she said. 

Nallon also wanted to incorporate a local nonprofit and partnered with the Transformation Freedom Initiative, which works to end human trafficking in Virginia. 

"And we offer context-specific education. We have youth programs, youth worker training, human trafficking in the health care context training. We are just trying to get the community educated within the context to find practical ways to prevent this issue in their lives," Director of Transformation Freedom Initiative, Anna Nalle, said. 

Among the 80 people participating, four Earlysville Volunteer Firefighters also completed the race in full uniform. Nallon said that without the help of the first responders from Earlysville and Albemarle County, the event wouldn’t have been the same.