A screening of the documentary "A Ride for Freedom" will be held on Friday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. at Petra Church, 565 Airport Road, New Holland. Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams will deliver opening remarks. Registration is required at https://ARideforFreedom.eventbrite.com.

"A Ride for Freedom" documents the journey of an eight-person team of ultra-endurance cyclists taking part in the 2023 Race Across America (RAAM), along with the team's support crew from the anti-child trafficking organization ZOE International. This 3,000-mile, nonstop transcontinental relay began on June 17, 2023, and took the cyclists from the California coast to Maryland over six days.

Through interviews and cinematic visuals, "A Ride for Freedom" showcases the physical and mental fortitude required to compete in RAAM. It also spotlights the team's commitment to raising awareness of child trafficking.

The majority of the cyclists who participated are from Lancaster County; the participants were Nate Eakin, Matt Lapp, Tom Jordan, Craig Whiteford, John Glick, Kevin Quinter, Merv Beiler, and Jeff Conaway. They trained beginning in the fall of 2022, logging hundreds of hours of stationary cycling, road riding, and strength training. The team secured second place in 2023 and plans to ride again in 2025 to fight against child trafficking.

The idea for ZOE's participation in RAAM ignited when Brad Ortenzi, ZOE's Eastern U.S. regional director and team manager, visited ZOE's campus in Thailand to meet the young trafficking survivors in 2014.

Ortenzi also serves as the coordinator of Lancaster and Berks County's Human Trafficking Task Force. ZOE East Coast has established partnerships with county agencies and organizations to identify those vulnerable to trafficking. Through these collaborative efforts, ZOE aims to assist trafficking victims and at-risk youths in the southeast Pennsylvania region, offering a range of services, such as support for law enforcement during sting operations, trauma-informed activities, mentorship, and access to resources.

ZOE International is a global organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking through prevention, rescue, and restoration programs. More information can be found at http://www.gozoe.org.