The Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes hosted its Shine Bright for Children Gala this month at Ventosa Vineyards.
The event – the first in-person gala since the pandemic – raised more than $40,000 to support child abuse survivors in our community.
Highlights of the evening included the keynote address, “Pulling Back the Curtain,” by Valerie Dimino. Dimino co-authored a book, “The Man Behind the Curtain,” with Jessica Renee, who survived years of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.
During the event, the CACFL recognized the MDT (Motivated. Dedicated. Tenacious) Award winners from 2023. Each month, a member of the Multi-Disciplinary Team, a network of agencies that work together to facilitate child abuse investigations and support survivors, received the award from Ontario, Seneca or Yates counties. And, those winners were automatically nominated for the annual awards. With the help of State Senator Pamela Helming, executive director Ashley Davoli presented the annual MDT awards.
Aaliyah Beverly, former youth advocate with Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes, received the Community MDT Award for her dedication to advocating for children and their families.
Investigator Christopher Denny, of the Seneca Falls Police Department, received the Annual MDT Award for his working tirelessly to improve the lives of children in his hometown.
After presenting the MDT awards, Helming presented the CACFL with the NYS Empire Award, recognizing their outstanding work and their support of child abuse survivors throughout our community. Davoli, and Jim Ritts, board chair, accepted the award.
The event was sponsored by the Glover-Crask Charitable Trust, the Canandaigua Police Department’s Gold Badge Club, the Bonafiglia Family Foundation, Red Jacket Orchards, UR Medicine Thompson Health and Wegmans, among others.
For more information about the Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes, visit cacfingerlakes.org or email [email protected].
