Dallas CASA held its annual Volunteer Appreciation event on April 14 to recognize the hundreds of volunteer advocates who provide powerful advocacy for abused and neglected children every day in Dallas County.    

Please visit the Dallas CASA Facebook page at facebook.com/dallascasa for photos from the event, and thank you to all who attended and made it a success.  

CASA Supervisor Chad Frymire with Kathy and Sam Friedman at the Volunteer Appreciation event on April 14

CASA volunteers Myrna Gorchoff and Margaret Wright

CASA volunteers Jamesia and Jeryl Sasser and Sally Drayer

Dallas CASA new volunteers with Judge Bill Mazur (center, top)

The following volunteers have been sworn in this year and are advocating for abused and neglected children in Dallas County courts. Congratulations to our new volunteers!   

Denisha Adams ● Kay Bendor-Samuel ● Phyllis Boyd ● Kanitra Brooks ● Jamesia Brown ● Gerard Chisholm ● Takuila Cobb ● Amanda DonCarlos ● Retha Etindi ● Stefanie Faz ● Kaylene Garcia ● Marianne Graham ● Kristen Greenlee ● Michelle Hartmann ● Courtney Hopping ● Megan Horton ● Leslie Hudson ● Christina Johnson ● Carolyn Johnson-Scott ● Gary Johnston ● Marilyn Johnston ● Audrea Lemmons ● Jessica Loughran ● Stephen Marsden ● Annmarie Masters ● Darlene Matthews ● Jordann Rawls ● Jason Ross ● Taylor Russ ● Jeryl Sasser ● Rick Tidwell ● Melissa Torres ● Sara Tucker ● Gabriella Vallardo ● Shane Valles ● Angela Van ● Kristen Walter ● Tracy Williams

Dallas CASA supporters and friends snapped up more than two dozen pint-sized chairs and other pieces of whimsical children's furniture April 6 at the fourth annual Cherish the Children luncheon at Northwood Club.     

Cherish the Children Honorary Chair Geraldine "Tincy" Miller (left) and Event Chair Kristina Whitcomb.

Hosted by Dallas CASA's Children's Council, the luncheon brought in more than $75,000 to support Dallas CASA. Local designers and retailers pulled out all the creative stops to produce one-of-a-kind pieces unlike anything to be found at a typical toy store.  

Mary-Elizabeth Carrell, Christie Carter, Suzanne Bryan and Carmen McMillan at Cherish the Children on April 6.

The beautiful chairs were sold at the luncheon to raise funds to support the work of Dallas CASA volunteers who serve as voices in court for abused and neglected children in Dallas County.

Dr. Anu Partap, pediatrician for Children's Medical Center's foster care clinic, was the keynote speaker at this year's event which was led by Honorary Chair Tincy Miller and Event Chair Kristina Whitcomb.  

Carol Greene, Hannah Dugan, Jordan Massey and Valerie Prowell at Cherish the Children.

The following individuals and retailers designed and donated the artful chairs which were sold at the luncheon:

Tom Addis Productions, Inc. ● Robin Broadhurst, Chadick Design ● Donnie Brown-Style Network's Celebrity Wedding Planner ● Chateau Concepts LLC ● Clutter ● Creative Room Arrangements ● Anna Curnes ● Fabricadabra ● Amy Gibbs Interiors ● Lorie Haas Design ● Sheika Hobeiche - Hobeiche Mediation Group ● Kayla Kennedy and Claire Gingrich ● Haley Lane Interiors ● Minicrafts ● Judi Napier ● MéMé Neblett ● P. Rayer Nemec - Designs from Paula ● Nancy Newbern, Rare Assets, Inc. ● JT Osgood of Osgood O'Neil Salon and Jane Waggoner of Jane Waggoner Designs ● Paper Source ● Phelans ● Janet Rice Interiors ● Joe Sambataro - Sambataro Studios ● Shane Walker Design ● Phil Whitcomb ● Peggy Zadina, ASID

Event sponsors were:

CASA KEEPER ● Nancy Ann Hunt ● Angela M. Thompson ● QUEEN ANNE ● Becky Lozier ● Jeanne and Joseph Manogue ● The Rosewood Corporation ● CABRIOLE ● Margie Francis ● Kayla Kennedy ● Geraldine 'Tincy' Miller ● ORIX Foundation ● Eleanor and Steve Penrose ● Glenda and Monty Ross ● Kristina and Phil Whitcomb ● EMPIRE ● Elloine Sinclair Clarke ● Margo Goodwin ● T.C. Lupton, Jr. Family Foundation/Dr. and Mrs. William P. Huckin ● Medora Monigold ● CHIPPENDALE ● Suzanne Bartolucci ● Suzanne Bryan ● Teddie Bryant ● Mrs. Rick Bush ● Nancy Carter ● Brenda West Cockerell ● Ola Fojtasek ● Mrs. James A. Gibbs ● Sarah Losinger ● Megan Martinez ● Betty S. Regard ● Nancy and Rex Spivey ● Pat Stein ● Courtney Goodall Taylor ● Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Williamson, Jr. ● WINDSOR ● Arkay Foundation/Carolyn Wittenbraker ● Deborah Bieritz ● Pam Busbee ● Christie Carter ● Martha Ann Cates ● Cheryl Chantilis ● Mr. and Mrs. John Courville ● Suzanne Dalton ● Sylvia and Ed Gray ● Janie Becker Hodges ● Christie Key ● Kelley and John Ledford ● Flora Mascolo ● Lynn McBee ● Cinda and Steve McDonald ● Shirley McIntyre ● Carmen C. McMillan ● Rae Gene Mungioli ● Debbie and Nickey Oates ● Pam Perella ● Michal Powell ● Kathryn and Kay Schleckser ● Nancy Shamburger ● Dayna Sutton ● Linda and Rob Swartz ● CeCe Turner ● Katie Whitcomb  

Dominic Harwood and Jeff Bradfield of IKON Office Solutions provide invaluable support to Dallas CASA through Parade of Playhouses

Dallas CASA is privileged to have the support of numerous local corporations and organizations working creatively with us to help abused and neglected children find the safe, permanent homes they deserve.

IKON Legal Document Services, a division of IKON Office Solutions, provides law firms and corporate counsel with electronic discovery and document management services. IKON partners with Dallas CASA by providing the stunning posters and signs for Dallas CASA's signature event, Parade of Playhouses. More than 1 million shoppers visit NorthPark Center during the two-week event each August, so attention-grabbing visual elements which tell the CASA story are an important part of the event.

"CASA is well-respected in the community, and there's a mutual benefit for us to be supporting CASA," General Manager Jeff Bradfield said. "Initially, I knew about CASA because I had taken my kids to Parade of Playhouses. Next time we go, I'll get a chance to explain to them that there are children just like them whose parents can't take care of them and who need our help."

In addition to providing visual elements that tell the public about the work of CASA volunteers, IKON provides printing of the Dallas CASA Children's Council directory each year and has provided electronic copies of training resources for volunteers.

"We are so fortunate to have a partnership with IKON," said Carolyn Newham, Dallas CASA's Director of Development and Finance. "It is wonderful to work with a company that cares so much about the children we serve."

The 2011 ORIX Parade of Playhouses will be held Aug. 5-Aug. 21 at NorthPark.

Dallas CASA is gearing up for its signature event, the ORIX Parade of Playhouses at NorthPark Center. And we're looking for a few good sponsors and builders to help abused and neglected children realize their dreams of finding the safe, permanent homes they deserve.

Last year's event raised more than $140,000 from raffling 17 artful playhouses to support the work of Dallas CASA volunteers who are powerful voices in court for these vulnerable children. This year's event will be held from Aug. 5 through Aug. 21. 

More than a million shoppers visit NorthPark during the 17-day event leading up to tax free weekend. As Dallas CASA's signature public event, Parade of Playhouses brings much needed awareness to the plight of abused and neglected children and the ways the community can help. For information on sponsorships or building opportunities, contact Sara Rockey at 214-827-9603 ext 272 or at srockey@dallascasa.org.