‘Survivor’ star to lend a hand | livingstondaily.com

‘Survivor’ star to lend a hand | livingstondaily.com | Livingston Daily

From 5:30-10 p.m. Friday, area residents will have the opportunity to bid on a private dinner with Livingston County “Survivor” Erik Reichenbach, and numerous auction items, at the Child Abuse Prevention Council’s annual Livingston’s Finest Summer Celebration, an evening devoted to fighting child abuse and neglect in Livingston County.

WDIV news anchor Steve Garagiola will emcee the event taking place at Crystal Gardens banquet center in Genoa Township, east of Howell. Special guest Reichenbach, a Pinckney native and recent star of the CBS television show “Survivor,” will also be at the event to share details of his experience on the show.

“We are thrilled to have Steve and Erik joining us this year,” said Matt Vergith, council chairman. “They will add a lot of fun to the event. It’s great to see people like these guys, who are in the public eye, remain community-focused and support programming that will benefit Livingston County children.”

The mission of the council is to prevent child abuse and neglect and promote a safe environment for children. Funds raised from Friday’s event will support the organization’s prevention efforts, including educational presentations to schools, churches and area organizations on shaken baby syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and child sexual abuse prevention.

The group also teaches people how to recognize and report suspected abuse and neglect. Other services provided by the CAP Council include a new parent resource packet provided to mothers giving birth at Saint Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital, a Baby Think It Over program, an annual Community Call-to-Action Conference for area professionals and residents, the annual CAP Kids’ Fair in Pinckney, a Lending Library and community awards that highlight citizens and companies working hard to support children and families in Livingston County.

In addition to dinner and auction activities, Livingston’s Finest Summer Celebration will also feature presentation of the 2008 Champion for Children Award.

The award is a joint effort by CAP and Great Start Livingston to recognize individuals who strive to serve, protect and better the lives of children in Livingston County.

“This event is an important one for us,” said Deanna Norris, CAP program director. “This is our major fundraising effort for the year and, with the recent funding cuts experienced by CAP and so many other agencies in the county, support from community members is critical.”

The CAP Council, a program of the Women’s Resource Center of Livingston County, will receive a 67 percent cut in United Way funding for the upcoming fiscal year.”

“During difficult economic times, families are under even more stress and the risk for child maltreatment increases,” said Norris.

“We know that the rate of child abuse and neglect has been growing in Livingston County and prevention is more critical now than ever.”

Items being auctioned during the event include dinner for four at Zukey Lake Tavern with Reichenbach, an autographed “Dabu” T-shirt from Reichenbach, tuition to Maple Tree Montessori School in Brighton worth $4,500, VIP tickets and limousine ride to the Fox Theatre for “White Christmas,” Detroit Tiger Tickets, a behind-the-scenes tour of Local 4 News with Garagiola and more.

Tickets for the event are $50 each or a table of 10 for $400. Reservations can be made by calling the Women’s Resource Center at (517) 548-2200.

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