Children’s Advocacy Center aims to “strike out” child abuse
Every lane of the Family Bowlaway on Fairground Hill Road in Butler was sold out on Sunday, April 27, for the Children’s Advocacy Center’s ninth annual “Strike Out Child Abuse” fundraiser.
Each year, the bowling outing is one of the three major fundraisers for the Children’s Advocacy Center, along with the annual golf outing (to be held July 14 at Butler Country Club) and the Little Hearts Benefit gala.
The Children’s Advocacy Center hopes to top the $21,000 it raised at last year’s event.
“The money that we get from different fundraising events … helps with daily operations and making sure we have our operational expenses covered,” said Danielle Schmidt, executive director of the CAC. “The Children's Advocacy Center provides services for children that have been victims of abuse. What we do is we offer a place for forensic interviews to take place so it's less traumatizing for children.”
This year’s event sold out all 28 lanes at Family Bowlaway, including three lanes used for duckpin bowling — a miniaturized version of regular 10-pin bowling. Some of the lanes were reserved by community organizations and companies such as NexTier Bank, the Center for Community Resources, Clearview Federal Credit Union, Butler County Chamber of Commerce and the Hoagie Shop, the latter of which also catered the event.
The Children’s Advocacy Center also raised funds through a bake sale, a 50/50 raffle and a basket raffle.
One volunteer who showed up to lend a hand on Sunday was Grove City resident Lillian Whitehouse, the current Mid-Atlantic Junior Teen. At last year’s event, when she reigned as Miss Pennsylvania Jr. Teen, she bowled with a group of three other pageant queens. This year, she took the next step and acted as a volunteer.
Whitehouse says she has a personal reason to participate.
“My brother was abused as a child. He had a hard time getting through it, but he finally got through it and he’s much stronger now,” Whitehouse said. “I want to be here so I can support other children like him.”
