L.A. Angels bring awareness to human trafficking with event 'Strike out Slavery'

ANAHEIM, Calif. (FOX 11) -  The Los Angeles Angels hosted a special event this weekend to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking. 

The annual event “Strike out Slavery” is organized by Angels star Albert Pujols and his wife Deidre, in fact she is the founder of Strike out Slavery. 

“So strike out Slavery is an opportunity to create awareness across the country by using major league baseball to help let people know about human trafficking, what it is, and that it’s real and t’s happening in our own city”, said Lita Mercado the director of Waymakers.

“It’s the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Baseball is a sport like no other in the world. You pack millions of people across the nation for 162 games a night, that’s an incredible amount of people that we can be educating and trying to keep safe,” said Deidre Pujols. 

Each year human trafficking enslaves more 45 million people. 

Former victims, like Harmony Dust-Grillo are thankful for the exposure this festival gives to the global problem that ruins so many lives. 

“I really felt like the walking dead, and I felt trapped, didn’t see any way out. I never saw women get out of it. But the reality is that trafficking takes on a lot of different faces, there’s a lot of different stories. Here I was someone who was very vulnerable and was exploited,” said survivor Harmony Dust-Grillo.

Albert and his wife are hoping this event will result in a grand slam. The event is now in its third year at Angels Stadium. They hope to get it into every major league stadium across the country. 

For more information on the organization click here.