Net gain with weight loss: Indiana pastor turns goal into fundraiser to fight human trafficking
Published 4:46 pm Tuesday, January 3, 2017
- Chris Ellis, pastor at Market Road Fellowship in Tipton, Ind., is encouraging donors to give one dollar for every pound he is able to lose in the next six months. Proceeds will go to Restored Inc., an Indianapolis-based company that fights human trafficking.
TIPTON, Ind. – An Indiana pastor is especially motivated to make good on his New Year’s resolution to lose weight.
Chris Ellis is asking donors to give one dollar for every pound he loses until Memorial Day weekend. Ellis, who pastors Market Road Fellowship in Tipton, near the northern Indiana city of Kokomo, says he is seeking 100 donors and hopes to lose as much as 75 pounds.
He told the Kokomo, Indiana Tribune that the money he raises will go to Restored, Inc., an Indianapolis-based company that “provides rescue, relief and restoration for women caught in sexual trafficking across the state of Indiana,” according to a press release. The company works with law enforcement agencies like the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to arrange for representatives to be on the scene of law enforcement raids to provide on-scene relief and rescue to victims of human trafficking.
Ellis said his unusual fundraiser was inspired by a viewing of the film “Priceless,” which tells the tale of a man whose choices lead him to unknowingly contribute to human trafficking.
“The movie makers challenge the viewers to do something instead of just having feelings…to actually do something, to act,” he said. “I feel like the Lord dropped it in my lap.”
His idea of combining his desire to “join in the fight” with his weight loss goal came to him, mainly through people around him.
“The people who have been telling me I needed to lose weight for years, I figured they could put their money where their mouth was,” he said jokingly.
Ellis also reached out to a local fitness center, which is backing his efforts by giving him a free, six-month, all-access membership. Three friends have joined him in his challenge, two from Oregon who will donate to a similar cause, and another doing a weight loss challenge for Restored Inc.
“I’m really hoping something would sort of catch fire,” he said, adding he wants others to raise money for human trafficking. “This is a huge issue, and it affects even young girls.”
Neuenschwander writes for the Kokomo, Indiana Tribune.
