It all began when my two friends, Holly, Amanda and I asked ourselves a question that many women have often pondered: What were we going to do with our old bridesmaid dresses that our married pals swore we could totally wear again?

Rather than let those expensive dresses collect dust in our closets, we decided to prove our bride friends right, and put them back to use for a good cause. Except the next time we wear them, we’ll be strapping on running shoes instead of heels to raise money to help children of sex workers through the Runaway Bridesmaids Race.  

Why You Should Care: Roughly three million women and girls worldwide are victims of this modern-day slave trade—and many die in their late 20s of AIDS. (In comparison, the peak year of the trans-Atlantic African slave trade was just under 80,000). Donations to Runaway Bridesmaids go to Village Volunteer’s partner, New Light—which provides shelter, healthcare, education, and HOPE for the children of sex workers in India’s largest red light district. By taking a moment to pledge or to join our fundraising team, together we can begin to break the cycle of sexual slavery.

How You Can Help: Holly, Jen and Amanda (a.k.a. “The Lost Girls,” a trio of female travelers, book authors, and best buds) are gathering a team of men and women to run The NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile Presented by Nissan in New York City on September 22, 2012. What sets the Runaway Bridesmaids team apart is that we’ll be putting old bridesmaids, prom, or other fancy dresses back to good use by running in them (yes, guys too!) and collecting pledges to help open another much-needed shelter for the kids of sex workers—many of whom have been trafficked—in India’s largest red light district to help prevent another generation of under-age sex workers.

Win a Life-Changing Trip: While you may be interested in donating or joining our fundraising team because you’re a passionate person who realizes how important it is to give back, there’s something more in it for you: The person who collects the most pledges for Runaway Bridesmaids and New Light scores a trip to Peru’s Machu Picchu courtesy of Adventure Life, a company focused on sustainable travel. (Click Here for Official Rules - ADDING THESE IN ASAP).