citizen-times.com
IF YOU GO
What: “Tears of Color: Abolishing Sex Slavery”When: 8 tonight.
Where: The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave.
Tickets: $10. www.tearsofcolor.com. 225-5851
ASHEVILLE — Tonight, The Orange Peel will host an innovative collaboration aimed at creating awareness of the horrors of human trafficking and sexual slavery through the “Tears of Color” benefit concert, featuring Center Stage Dance Studio, arty siren Masha, gypsy folk punk band Sirius B, acoustic rocker Jack Huggins and a local art auction.
“I discovered the issue of human trafficking while I was living in Australia,” explained event founder Elena Anatolyevna. “I discovered the mass amount of victims, mostly young and female, being trafficked across borders for sex slavery. This stunned me, and as I continued my research I not only discovered that it was very present in the United States, but North Carolina was a prime state. In my very own backyard! I was so arrested by this issue and knew if I were one of these girls I would want someone to help me, so I began to think about what I could do and how I could help.”
Anatolyevna organized the first “Tears of Color” benefit last year, raised $1,600 for Asheville’s Hope House shelter for victims of sexual slavery and prompting many of those artists to return this year to continue to fight the good fight.
“Our expectations are much greater for this year,” she admitted. “We open the show with a production that introduces our theme. This year it’s a puppet —a young girl on strings — trying to bring a trafficked person’s trapped state to people’s attention. We also try to end the show with something memorable and inspiring. I am so excited to see the different art that will be auctioned off.”
While those attending are invited to enjoy their evening, everyone involved in “Tears of Color” hopes the message behind the experience is never lost on the audience.
“Our desire is for every attendee to be inspired, educated and stimulated — for the evening to be something that they take away with them and don‘t forget,” she stressed. “We are donating 70 percent to charity and the rest is to cover the expenses of the event and put some aside for next year. The main purpose is to unite the community to bring their resources, gifts and talents to help another.”
“I discovered the issue of human trafficking while I was living in Australia,” explained event founder Elena Anatolyevna. “I discovered the mass amount of victims, mostly young and female, being trafficked across borders for sex slavery. This stunned me, and as I continued my research I not only discovered that it was very present in the United States, but North Carolina was a prime state. In my very own backyard! I was so arrested by this issue and knew if I were one of these girls I would want someone to help me, so I began to think about what I could do and how I could help.”
Anatolyevna organized the first “Tears of Color” benefit last year, raised $1,600 for Asheville’s Hope House shelter for victims of sexual slavery and prompting many of those artists to return this year to continue to fight the good fight.
“Our expectations are much greater for this year,” she admitted. “We open the show with a production that introduces our theme. This year it’s a puppet —a young girl on strings — trying to bring a trafficked person’s trapped state to people’s attention. We also try to end the show with something memorable and inspiring. I am so excited to see the different art that will be auctioned off.”
While those attending are invited to enjoy their evening, everyone involved in “Tears of Color” hopes the message behind the experience is never lost on the audience.
“Our desire is for every attendee to be inspired, educated and stimulated — for the evening to be something that they take away with them and don‘t forget,” she stressed. “We are donating 70 percent to charity and the rest is to cover the expenses of the event and put some aside for next year. The main purpose is to unite the community to bring their resources, gifts and talents to help another.”
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