Sumter Walks United: Pietas Coalition Moves from Path to Purpose

On November 1st, Sumter, South Carolina took a powerful step forward. The city’s first Communities Against Trafficking Walkathon, hosted by Pietas Coalition Corporation at Patriot Park, drew residents, law enforcement, and advocates together in a single, resounding message: our children are not for sale.

From WACH FOX 57 to The Sumter Item, CBS 42, FOX 4 Kansas City, and NewsBreak, the buzz spread quickly: local deputies joined a 1/2-mile path with families, veterans, and community leaders through wooded trails lined with educational posters, QR codes, and pledges of protection. The turnout proved something vital: Sumter is not just watching the problem of underage trafficking unfold but rather confronting it head-on.

“Each step that day represented a child’s freedom, a parent’s courage, and a community’s promise,” said Pietas Coalition founder Eugene Tossany, reflecting on the event’s impact.

A Traveling Promise

What began as one walk has now become a movement in motion. The Pietas Coalition Traveling Art Canvas, first unveiled during the walkathon, is preparing to tour schools, advocacy centers, and public establishments across South Carolina. Covered in handprints, brushstrokes, and signatures from the event, this living artwork carries Sumter’s pledge to defend children into new communities, inviting others to add their voices and colors. Each signature on the canvas is more than paint, it’s a public commitment to awareness, accountability, and action.

From Awareness to Action

Riding the wave of community energy, Pietas Coalition is launching monthly anti-trafficking seminars, beginning this November. These no-cost sessions will be hosted online and at the South Sumter Family Resource Center, offering parents, educators, and youth mentors practical tools to recognize, respond to, and prevent trafficking. Each seminar will build upon the foundation laid at Patriot Park, transforming awareness into education, and education into sustained defense for the most vulnerable among us.

The Road Ahead

Coverage from WACH FOX 57 and partner stations showcased the strength of Sumter’s unity. Even KARK mentioned the event in its press updates as proof that South Carolina’s message is traveling beyond state lines. As Pietas Coalition continues to partner with schools, community leaders, and local officials, that message will keep moving.

The walk may have ended, but the mission continues. The next steps are being drawn, one brushstroke, one seminar, one community at a time. To learn how you can host the traveling canvas or attend an upcoming seminar, contact Pietas Coalition Corporation or follow our updates on instagram.com/pietascoalition/.

R-L: Savannah (Survivor Network North Carolina), Ms. Eugene Tossany (Pietas Coalition), Maeve (Mela's Bowtique),

Representing Sumter's spirit, "Swan Lake Iris Gardens" by artist Stephen Drayton (Special Olympian). Representing Sumter's community signatures, "Sparkle Handprints" by artist Ms. Charlie (Special Olympian).