The 12th Annual CASA Holiday Festival and auction is planned for Friday at the Biomet hangar at Warsaw Municipal Airport. The event is an important for CASA’s annual budget. Guests will be treated to an energetic atmosphere of color and fun while supporting the mission of providing Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children throughout Kosciusko County, according to a press release. The event is scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $75 per person for general admission and $125 per person for VIP tickets. Tickets are available online at www.casachildren.com Attendees will be welcomed to a theme of “Color a Child’s World with a Brighter Tomorrow” while being entertained by Big Daddy Dupree and the Broke and Hungry Blues Band. A variety of food, wine and beer donated by local chefs and restaurateurs, including Boathouse Restaurant, Cerulean Restaurant, Curbside, Eagle Creek Farms, Oakwood Resort, Redwood Firewood Grill, Sleepy Owl Supper Club, Tippecanoe Lake Country Club and Viand Chef Services will be served. Live and silent auction items also will be on display and available to the highest bidder. Some of the 100 items up for auction include vacation packages in Marco Island, Fla.; Walloon Lake, Mich.; Napa Valley, Calif.; and Costa Rica; as well as a vintage pearl and diamond pendant; a skydiving experience; and a bedroom makeover. More items and photos can be found on Facebook by searching CASA of Kosciusko County, www.facebook.com/pages/CASA-of-Kosciusko-County/231742966849249 Although the event is encouraged to be one of celebration, CASA members hope guests will take the opportunity to learn about and support the CASA mission. With help from the community, the Holiday Festival will raise funds to be used to help local children in need of services. The demand for CASA is greater than ever and the cost associated to serve a single child can be as much as $1,000. Proceeds from this year’s event will enable CASA to continue training volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children and allow for the necessary tools for future volunteer recruitment. “Through no fault of their own, some children in our community can no longer depend on the adults in their lives,” said Jill Serbousek, vice president of the CASA board of directors. “When the situation is elevated to a series of court hearings, special advocates called CASAs are assigned by the judge to provide a voice for the child. Unfortunately, the court doesn’t provide funding for training and support that each CASA needs, so we must turn to the generosity of our local community. “Please come to our Annual Holiday Festival Friday to help us raise the funds that we need to support the children in our community who need a CASA advocate. Your CASA donations stay in the community and go directly to support local children.” CASA is a non-profit organization and is funded in part by the Kosciusko County United Way and Community Foundation.
