FLEMING - A giant step toward healing victims of child abuse was lauded during More than JAVA with Gents, the annual fundraiser for Sexual Assault Victims Advocate Resource, at the Springside Inn Friday.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Bob Granato serves wine to his aunt Louise Granato, left, and Micki Horsford at the More Than Java with the Gents fundraiser at the Springside Inn on Friday. The event was held with a raffle and silent auction to raise money for SAVAR, the Sexual Assault Victims Advocate Resource.
Bob Granato serves wine to his aunt Louise Granato, left, and Micki Horsford at the More Than Java with the Gents fundraiser at the Springside Inn on Friday. The event was held with a raffle and silent auction to raise money for SAVAR, the Sexual Assault Victims Advocate Resource.
Thirteen well-known area gentlemen - from politics, business, law enforcement and education - served wine during the cocktail hour and coffee with dessert for 158 guests after the family style dinner.
Keynote speaker Edward Suk, New York's regional director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children gave a presentation on the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse, which he called a national epidemic.
“Nobody ever thinks it's going to be their child,” he said. “Children are the most victimized group in our society.”
Suk said police are only able to fully investigate 2 percent of the cases because they are woefully underfunded. Between now and 18 years from now, he said, 15 million children would be sexually abused in the United States. Twenty nine percent are abused by parents, 25 percent by neighbors, 10 percent by relatives, and 3 percent by strangers, he said. More than 150 known pedophiles reside in Cayuga County, Suk said.
“We see individuals who will lie and victimize their children for money and put it out over the Internet, ” he said. He also pointed out the dangers of “sexting,” when teens take nude photos with cell phones that end up online.
Childhood trauma and abuse lead to mental health issues that, if not addressed, can even lead to suicide. The cost of child sexual assault in 2008 was $103.8 billion, Suk said.
SAVAR Director Linda Murphy was honored with the 2009 SAVAR Gold Award, honoring advocates for SAVAR.
Cayuga County Sheriff Gould praised U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, awarded a special plaque in honor of his help in securing federal funds for information technology infrastructure to support a multi-disciplinary team, advocacy center staff and affiliated service providers for new offices that will house the Child Advocacy Center and SAVAR programs.
“I'm very humbled to be here, ” Arcuri said. “To be recognized with you people here is embarrassing - you are the heroes.” He said he was proudest of the success of the child advocacy center in Oneida, the first one in the state, while he was district attorney there.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
Keynote speaker Edward Suk, New York's regional director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children gave a presentation on the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse, which he called a national epidemic.
“Nobody ever thinks it's going to be their child,” he said. “Children are the most victimized group in our society.”
Suk said police are only able to fully investigate 2 percent of the cases because they are woefully underfunded. Between now and 18 years from now, he said, 15 million children would be sexually abused in the United States. Twenty nine percent are abused by parents, 25 percent by neighbors, 10 percent by relatives, and 3 percent by strangers, he said. More than 150 known pedophiles reside in Cayuga County, Suk said.
“We see individuals who will lie and victimize their children for money and put it out over the Internet, ” he said. He also pointed out the dangers of “sexting,” when teens take nude photos with cell phones that end up online.
Childhood trauma and abuse lead to mental health issues that, if not addressed, can even lead to suicide. The cost of child sexual assault in 2008 was $103.8 billion, Suk said.
SAVAR Director Linda Murphy was honored with the 2009 SAVAR Gold Award, honoring advocates for SAVAR.
Cayuga County Sheriff Gould praised U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, awarded a special plaque in honor of his help in securing federal funds for information technology infrastructure to support a multi-disciplinary team, advocacy center staff and affiliated service providers for new offices that will house the Child Advocacy Center and SAVAR programs.
“I'm very humbled to be here, ” Arcuri said. “To be recognized with you people here is embarrassing - you are the heroes.” He said he was proudest of the success of the child advocacy center in Oneida, the first one in the state, while he was district attorney there.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
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