Front and center for kids
First lady honored for work on behalf of abused children at inaugural Children’s Advocacy Center awards luncheon
The first Woman of Inspiration affair didn’t start off as a big Wally Allen Ballroom fundraiser. The Oct. 23 event was a luncheon, after all, and supposed to be next door at the Little Rock Marriott. At some point, though, people got so inspired they outdid themselves.
When it’s all tallied, the 500 or so who came out to root on honoree and first-year first lady Susan Hutchinson will have raised, including in-kind donations, about $400,000 before expenses, said co-chairman Shayla Copas.
The fundraiser began by recognizing the directors and staff of the 14 Children’s Advocacy Centers around the state. These facilities are used by children who have been physically or sexually abused. They feature beds and private rooms and offer shelter and comfort, typically within hours after the police are called, as survivors undergo medical examination, police interviews and transition away from home.
The lunch featured a fourcourse meal, a short fashion show by Barbara/Jean, and touching videos about Children’s Advocacy Centers, for which the event was a fundraiser.
Following up on her incredible set design for Susan and Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s inaugural ball in January, Copas again made a room in the Statehouse Convention Center as bright and chic as can ever be imagined. Copas’ co-chairman was Sara Massana.
National Children’s Advocacy Center Director Chris Newlin flew in from Huntsville, Ala., for the event.
Stephanie Abernathy of Rogers received the first Blue Ribbon Award given to a survivor of sexual abuse. She took the opportunity to say that the event serves an important role — that of bringing abuse out of the shadows.