It's 10 a.m. and cyclists from the group Hope for Freedom are already riding south on U.S. 1 in Oak Hill.

  • Hope Ride for Freedom is a bike ride to raise awareness of human trafficking
  • Riders will travel from St. Augustine to West Palm Beach
  • Ride has special meaning for cyclist Karen Johnson Young

Wearing a neon-green bike helmet, Karen Johnson Young leads her group.

Young and 24 fellow cyclists are on an almost 260-mile-long ride from St. Augustine to West Palm Beach to raise awareness about human trafficking.

"It's wrong. It was wrong then, and we need to all contribute to stopping it," Young said.

The group Hope for Freedom runs seven safe houses throughout Florida for victims of human trafficking. Funds from the Hope Ride for Freedom will go to the treatment and care for girls who were rescued from the sex trade.

The ride has special meaning for Young.

St. Augustine was the starting point for her ride, because it was also a starting point for the Florida slave trade — and where Young's family history began.

Young traced her family history to relatives who were sold in St. Augustine.

"I had two runaway slaves in my family. What they risked actually impacted who I am today, where I am today and the family I grew up in," Young said. "So it really does get down to a personal level. I can actually give back some of that strength and courage they had by just being on this ride,” she said.

Young also celebrated her 60th birthday the day the group left St. Augustine.

"It's really important. I wanted to focus on doing something for somebody else. It wasn't going to be all about me on my birthday. (I wanted) something I'd remember forever, to tell my grandchildren about."

Young's goal is to raise enough awareness so that part of the story she tells to those descendants will be one free of human trafficking.

The group of cyclist hope to end their journey to bring awareness to human trafficking Saturday in West Palm Beach.


Karen Johnson Young recently celebrated her 60th birthday, but she wanted the 260-mile-long bike ride to be for a greater purpose. (Saul Saenz, staff)