A cute young couple walked through the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center’s Appetite for Advocacy Luncheon reception with its 900 guests at the Sheraton Dallas on Thursday, April 2. No one bothered the twosome.
But the night before, they had been the center of attention at the Appetite for Advocacy’s patron party at PlainsCapital headquarters. They were the luncheon’s keynote speaker Kevin Mulcahy and his wife. They posed for photos with luncheon Co-Chairs Barbara Durham and Julie Rado and a slew of others including Steve Durham and Cole Dulaney. Kevin had made a strong impression the year before at the DCAC conference discussing the problems of the victim and the legal world in dealing with child abuse.
But today they appeared to be just like the rest of the DCAC supporters including Ward Hunt, Rachel Trowbridge, Laura Siino, Linda and Steve Ivy and the Goss clan (Kara and Randall Goss and Libby and Quinton Goss).
As the ballroom doors opened, the guests took their places for lunch. When it was time for Kevin, he opted not to be leashed to the podium. Instead he walked the stage telling how, as Assistant U.S. Attorney & Chief of the General Crimes Unit Detroit, Michigan, he had handled numerous child abuse cases. But Kevin’s view and concern for the issue had a personal kick to it, thanks to a fellow named “Randy” and a life-changing experience that took place 30 years ago this spring.
It was Randy who had been the pre-teen Kevin’s soccer coach. After developing a friendship and a trust, it all unfolded one Saturday when all the kids in the soccer league with their dads spent the night at the local Y. Kevin’s dad couldn’t be there, so Randy was going to sub in for him. During that horrendous night, Kevin lived through sexual assaults by Randy with “breaks” only coming when a fellow with a flashlight would check on the youngsters spending the night in the gym.
But Kevin was a survivor who managed to overcome the abuse of his childhood. And he encouraged luncheon guests to shine a light on any and all questionable situations and to support DCAC in shining that light.
Another compelling moment during the lunch was the presentation of the Bill Walsh Award to Dallas County District Attorney chief prosecutor for child abuse Eren Price, and the Ruth Altshuler Award to the late Ronnie Berg. Bringing some to tears was Ronnie’s acceptance that he wrote just days before his death extolling the work of DCAC and the importance of protecting children.