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Jones, Samueli, Snyder-Ellingson, Other OC Execs Mobilize Against Human Trafficking
Orange County's affluence has made the area a desirable place to travel, settle down and start a company.
Its wealth, however, has also attracted a more sinister business: human trafficking.
The area is heavily overrepresented in terms of traffickers and victims, who have come to Orange County from across the U.S. due to demand, according to a report conducted in 2018 by the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force.
Traffickers "bring their victims [to OC] expecting to have an abundance of customers and higher profits," the report said.
Local business execs, moved by the staggering number of local and global victims in the $ 150 billion trafficking industry, are dedicating their off-hours to support survivors, and put trafficking to an end.
Steve Jones, CEO of Irvine security giant Allied Universal, Orange County's largest private company by revenue, organizes an annual fundraising concert for survivor-assistance programs along with his wife, Stacy.
The event, dubbed Hot August Nights, has raised nearly $5.5 million in total for Vera's Sanctuary, a residential program in Trabuco Canyon for victims of sex trafficking. The charity, founded in 2018, helps women receive therapy, earn degrees and find employment.
Every year, up to 500 attendees gather at the Jones' Coto de Caza mansion for dinner and a human trafficking awareness presentation, followed by a concert.
"It's always the quietest when one of the ladies from Vera's Sanctuary is sharing her story," Bruce Tollner, founder of Irvine sports agency Repl Sports Group Inc. and a regular Hot August Nights attendee, told the Business Journal. Tollner's wife, Lisa, serves on the Hot August Nights committee led by Stacy Jones. The event takes a year in advance to organize.
"Everyone donates at different levels," Tollner said. "Whether it's their time, their talent or their treasure."
"If you can impact the trajectory of just one life, it's an incredible experience," he added. "Vera's Sanctuary is doing that on a daily basis."
Past Hot August Nights performers include Kool & the Gang lead vocalist Skip Martin, rapper Nelly, rock band Loverboy, Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar and Journey lead singer Steve Augeri. Tickets go for $550 per person, according to Stacy Jones.
This year's country-themed Hot August...