According to Dallas CASA Executive Director/President Kathleen M. LaValle,
The decision to cancel Dallas CASA’s annual Cherish the Children luncheon, planned for Friday, April 3, was disappointing, but ultimately out of our control. Our community had been looking forward to honoring Dallas CASA’s former Executive Director/President Beverly Levy with the Caroline Rose Hunt Cherish the Children Award. Dallas CASA celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and Beverly was at the helm for just over half of those years.
Despite the cancellation of the Cherish event, most sponsors and ticket purchasers left in place their contributions in order to support the continuity of Dallas CASA’s service to children. The reality is that today’s children face an increased risk of the likelihood of abuse with a decreased likelihood of hotline reports while schools are closed. We were expecting a sold-out and record-breaking crowd of around 500 guests for this year’s Cherish the Children luncheon event, in large part due to the tremendous efforts of our Co-Chairs Leigh Danley and Leslie Wayne, plus donations honoring Beverly, with additional “day of” revenue expected from “text to donate” and silent auction participation. With support from the community, local businesses and artists, we were thrilled to be able to turn the planned silent auction into a virtual one, which raised nearly $10,000 including a $2,000 matching gift. All proceeds from donations support the children Dallas CASA serves. Beverly shared some thoughts with us that put things into perspective.
“When everything’s disrupted and we don’t know what the future will be life, it’s very confusing and disheartening,” Beverly shared with us. “I think it’s a feeling much like what the children CASA serves go through on a daily basis, for months or even years, often not knowing if they’ll be safe or what their lives will be like.”
If you have some extra time in coming days of sheltering in place, please consider registering for an upcoming virtual information session about becoming a CASA volunteer.
* Video provided by Dallas CASA