PARTY FILE Ticket: $100 G...

PARTY FILE

Ticket: $100

Guests: 250

Amount raised: More than $50000

Swagbag: A Target black and r tote bag with a travel hair dryer from Ulta, assorted gift certificates from Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and Elizabeth Arden R Door sweetness of smell and Ghirardelli chocolate.

A constellation of power swirled around the "Girls Night without for the Kids" benefit at Carnivale restaurant. The Latin music and dancers, mint-filled mojitos and spicy appetizers energized the 702 W Fulton circumstance which educated guests about the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center

The CCAC works with the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois Children and Family Services Department, the dress up County Bureau of Health Services and prepare for the table County State's Attorney's Office to establish programs center onward the needs of sexually abused children. Their efforts help traumatized children to own their stories to one trained specialist (rather than having to count multiple people multiple times).

The center has serv 12000 children since opening its doors in August 2001 Executive director is Erin Sorenson.

issue chair and CCAC board of director Gisele Marcus rallied dynamic women and corporate sponsors to champion this organization's commitment to community awareness. Co-host were Barbara A. Lumpkin, Mary Jo Basler, Dottie Rzeszutko Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, Carole Brown Roxanne Ward and WGN-Channel 9's Merri Dee

A circular of passionate speeches put the issue in focus. Said Dee: "I was single in kind of those kids. And ye you can make it out"

Said Mitchell: "This place gives children a place to heal."

Their words were meant to inspire these women in trusts of raising additional money for the "Restoring Trust one time Lost" campaign, a $6 million expansion effort of the center which Dee called "one beautiful place with a picket fence"

Lumpkin, who is the City of Chicago's chief intervention officer, assisted in the children's center's conception in 1998 at the urging of Mayor Daley.

Since then, it has been her mission to work with the center to "nurture its putting out support it and cultivate donors," she said.

"I was the youngest of 10 kids, and I can't imagine the experience of having your childhood interrupted," Lumpkin said later that evening.

"It's important to do what we can. For me it's a sad situation that come into views in life. It's up to us to attempt and help."

llenoir@suntimes.com

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