First Star Hosts Cheers For Children October 17th in Washington DC Proceeds To Benefit Abused and Neglected Children
First Star, a national children's advocacy nonprofit, will host "Cheers for Children" a fundraising event Monday October 17th from 6-9 pm at Obelisk restaurant in Dupont Circle.
- (1888PressRelease) September 15, 2011 - WASHINGTON, DC - The evening will include food provided by Obelisk owner and James Beard Award winning chef Peter Pastan, a wine tasting, and silent auction. All proceeds from the event will go to support the work First Star does to fight for the rights of abused and neglected children in this country. http://www.firststar.org/programs
"Cheers For Children will be a wonderful evening and an opportunity to support the work our organization does to help abused and neglected children including the over 600,000 children in the foster care system in our country. These vulnerable children are often forgotten and we are fighting to provide them with the rights, education and legal representation that they deserve," said Elissa Garr, Executive Director of First Star.
Proceeds from "Cheers For Children" will support all of First Star's programs, with an emphasis on bringing our newest program to the Washington DC area. This past summer, in partnership with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), First Star launched the First Star UCLA Bruin Guardian Scholars Summer Academy. This ground breaking program provided 24 rising 9th grade Los Angeles foster youth with a five and a half week residential college prep program to help them both academically and socially prepare for college.
"The sad truth is that only 6% of all foster children have the benefit of a college education. This program was designed to level the playing field for foster kids. UCLA is only the beginning. We plan to replicate the summer program nationally, and are in advanced discussions with a local university. The ultimate goal is to establish year round residential prep schools on college campuses all over the country," said Peter Samuelson, co-founder and President of First Star.
"The Cheers For Children event is a chance for us to celebrate the incredible success of the Summer Bruin Academy, but also to shine a light on the need for more programs just like it. We hope to make a meaningful change in the lives of the foster children in this country by making college not just a dream, but a reality. They deserve the opportunity all children have to attend college and live happy productive lives," said Samuelson.
About First Star
Established in 1999, First Star improves the lives of America's abused and neglected children by strengthening their rights, illuminating systemic failures, and igniting reform to correct them. Through the pursuit of research, public engagement, policy advocacy, and litigation, First Star's multidisciplinary approach fosters collaborative action among organizations, advocates, practitioners and policy makers working to benefit children.
To make a donation to the Cheers For Children event please go to:
https://www.firststar.org/events/cheers-for-children.aspx
For additional information, interviews or images, please contact Lisa Garr at lisa.garr ( @ ) fiststar dot org
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