Voices For Children/CASA of Brazos Valley will host the 13th Annual Art of Helping Children Dinner & Silent Auction on March 5, at the Brazos Expo Center Ballroom from 6pm to 9pm. Attendees will join Voices For Children in honoring Honorable Steve Smith as 2016 Champion For Children; Maggie and Harper Cunningham and Books and a Blanket as 2016 Ronnie Jackson Friends Of Children; and Bob McGee as 2016 Bonnie Wikse Advocate For Children.
“The Dinner and Silent Auction event is an important way to honor those in the community working tirelessly to make things better for our abused and neglected children in foster care,” says Art of Helping Children Event Chair Penny Beaumont. “In addition, it serves as a wonderful platform for our local artists’ talents, distinct items, and destination packages.” The night includes dinner catered by Global Event Group, a silent auction, and the awards program.
Voices For Children Executive Director Liana Rike says the agency’s Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteers served 198 abused and neglected children from Brazos, Burleson, and Grimes counties last year, navigating 94 through the often overburdened child welfare system and into forever homes.
“The CASA volunteer is the only entity in the court system that has just one child or sibling group to attend to, allowing for a much more individualized approach and the prevention of children falling through the cracks of the larger and often broken foster care system,” says Rike. “Children who have a CASA spend, on average, seven months less time in foster care. CASAs help children find their safe, permanent, and nurturing homes quickly.”
The Art of Helping Children event is one of the main fundraisers held annually in support of the local CASA program. This year’s silent auction features specialty items such as a week-long stay at a villa in the region of Tuscany, Italy, a catered dinner for 20 from Napa Flats, a Kyle Field Renovation commemorative print, in addition to paintings, photographs, jewelry, “Art of Fine Living” packages (spa, fine dining, etc.), sculptures, and more. Event tickets are $65 per person and tickets can be purchased at the Voices For Children/CASA office or online at voicesforchildreninc.org, where you can also preview featured items included in the auction. Tickets are available until Friday, February 19.
In addition to the silent auction and award presentations, Voices For Children will be holding a drawing for a David Gardner originally designed pendant. This necklace is .65 carat cabochon amethyst stone set in 18K yellow gold and platinum surrounded with 1.92 carats of diamonds (chain included). Tickets for a chance to win this beautiful piece of jewelry, valued at $9,960 and donated by David and Julia Gardner, are $20 per chance or three chances for $50, and can be purchased at the Voices For Children Office, 115 N. Main Street, Downtown Bryan, or the night of the event. The drawing will be held at the Art of Helping Children event, but you need not be present to win.
For more information on the Art of Helping Children event and/or drawing for the pendant, call (979) 822-9700.
