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Thanks to everyone who attended Wednesday’s Family & Children’s Place Louisville Building Brighter Futures Breakfast at The Seelbach Hilton. And thanks for standing up for and beside children, the most vulnerable members of our community, to protect them from violence, abuse and neglect.

Nearly 400 guests enjoyed a hot breakfast and heard about progress and plans from Pam Darnall, agency president and CEO. We were honored to have as special guests Kentucky First Lady Glenna Bevin and Attorney General Andy Beshear, and to have Beshear talk about the statewide series of training he and Mrs. Bevin are co-sponsoring to increase awareness of child sexual abuse.

A special thanks to Lindsay Allen, anchor at WDRB-TV, for serving as emcee and for showing such a caring commitment to ending child abuse and to the agency. Also for giving a special welcome and thank you to Katya Estes, a young abuse survivor who is helping Family & Children’s Place through personal advocacy and her own 5K event, Stomp the Silence: Taking Steps Toward Healing.

We were pleased to award two Gold Medals: the Mary Beth Doheny Volunteer Award to Nick Hettich, Joe Clay and Chris Bailey, founders and Louisville Mashed, a bourbon-themed event that last November raised more than $5,000 and drew hundreds of young professionals to learn more about our work and how they can help. And the Partnership Award to Charter Communications, a partner for 20 years. Thanks to Ricardo Fox, Kevin Dunn, Heather Williams and Tra’Nise Lloyd, for representing Charter and collecting the award.

Samantha Robinson, a child abuse survivor, provided the keynote, talking about the abuse she endured and sharing how she overcame the trauma through the love of family and friends who stood beside her and the help of counselors at Family & Children’s Place.

A high point in the breakfast came when Vice President of Philanthropy JT Henderson announced a match grant opportunity from Kosair Charities. The longtime partner and friend of the agency offered to gift $10,000 if other supporters would match it – providing a total gift of $20,000.

Even as Henderson made the announcement from the stage, agency board members and others quickly stood to demonstrate their commitment to match the Kosair pledge, ensuring continuing support for critical lifesaving and changing programs and services to children and families hard hit by abuse.

We cannot thank Kosair enough for this gift and for its many years of friendship and financial partnership.

Joe Clay, an agency ambassador, also spoke, sharing why he volunteers with and for the agency, and how he sees his role as a father and a community leader differently since joining hands with the agency.

Thanks to everyone for standing up for and beside children, and supporting the life-changing and saving work agency staff provides every day.

#istandbesideyou