Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County held its annual Celebration Event on Saturday, September 18, 2021! Over 250 guests supported CASA’s mission of serving abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Orange County. As a result, the organization netted over $1.117M.
This year’s life celebration was very special as it allowed guests to reconnect after over a year apart. Celebration 2021 was overseen and executed by six incredibly dedicated CASA supporters who served as this year’s Chairs. They were Jacqueline DuPont-Carlson, Karen Jordan, Lourdes Nark, Urvashi Patel, Wendy Tenebaum, and Linda Young.
Honorees
This year’s honorees included The John & Gail Ueberroth Family Foundation as Outstanding Foundation, Lugano Diamonds as Outstanding Corporation, The Wong Family as Children’s Champions, and Nancy and Richard Eaton as our Advocates of the Year. The Eaton’s acceptance speech included some remarkable statistics about CASA’s impact on foster youth from Richard, “The difference having a CASA makes in the future for foster kids is incredible. Over 93% graduate from high school, and being a graduate gives them opportunities most of us take for granted. Fewer than 10% of children with a CASA volunteer re-enter foster care; they are less likely to be homeless, stay out of prison, and get a good job. In other words, having a CASA is a magic ingredient in a foster kid living a life that wasn’t going to happen and having a wide-open future.”
The evening concluded with a live performance from Grammy Award Winner, Macy Gray, culminating with her hit song “I Try.”
History
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County is a privately-funded non-profit organization that serves severely abused, neglected, and abandoned children through the recruitment, training, and continued support of volunteers who advocate and mentor these children, representing their best interest in the courtroom and other settings. Founded in 1985, with major support from the Junior League of Orange County, they serve annually approximately 750 of the children who move through our court system as a direct cause of abuse and neglect.
If interested in donating to this amazing organization, please visit CASA OC.
