July 17, 2014
The Jackson Free Press and the Center for Violence Prevention are proud to announce the 10th Annual JFP Chick Ball on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the Arts Center of Mississippi in downtown Jackson at 201 E. Pascagoula St. This year's special JFP Chick Ball is moving to the Arts Center for this year's special gala, which will celebrate a decade of preventing domestic abuse, protecting families, and empowering women to lift themselves and their families up after experiencing abuse.
This year, at 8 p.m. the JFP Chick Ball will honor three heroes who embody the event's motto of "prevent, protect, empower": Abuse survivor Sarah Reynolds, state Sen. Sally Doty, who helped create the state Office Against Interpersonal Violence, and the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy, for their work against sex trafficking in the state. The JFP is also honoring a decade of Chicks We Love at the event.
Past JFP Chick Ball events, all at Hal & Mal's in Jackson, have resulted in the purchase of a new mini-van for client transportation, the launch of the Batterer's Intervention Program, and legal assistance for victims. Proceeds from the 2013 Chick Ball were used in addressing an emerging issue in our area—human trafficking, which is also known as modern-day slavery.
This year's JFP Chick Ball is honoring and supporting all the work of the Center for Violence Prevention and its efforts to save and improve lives of families in central Mississippi. "Domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking occurrences continue to rise in the Central Mississippi area, as we are hearing almost daily about another woman or child whose life has been negatively impacted by it," Sandy Middleton, executive director of the Center for Violence Prevention in Pearl, says. "These interpersonal crimes cross all social-economic, racial and cultural boundaries, meaning they can affect any of us or our children."
JFP Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd launched the event a decade as a way to give Jackson-area adults of all ages and income brackets a way to help fight the abuse epidemic, which strikes all communities. She also wanted it to be fun, creative and a celebration of female performers.
"The Chick Ball has always cost $5 to get in. I purposefully designed it to welcome all who want to come. And chicks must be prominent in all performances! That, of course, means it's a very popular event for our arm candy as well; men are some of our best donors, supporters and dancers!"
The JFP Chick Ball has become a fashion fete as well, with all kinds of dress welcome—from jeans to bling. The Diva of Bling (her) and Best Arm Candy (him) take home prizes from local businesses every year.
The event's silent auction is one of a kind, with hundreds of gifts, pieces of art and gift certificates from local businesses and artists donated each year. The JFP is accepting auction donations through Thursday, July 17 (at 125 S. Congress St., #1324), during normal business hours.
"One of the best parts of the Chick Ball is watching people of all ages step up to donate money, time or auction gifts in the months leading up to the JFP Chick Ball. You never know what's going to walk through the door!" Ladd says.
Proceeds from the JFP Chick Ball stay in the community and lead to tangible results. Middleton has watched the event grow into a key force in combating domestic abuse and sex trafficking in central Mississippi and considers the Chick Ball vital to the Center's work. "In honor of 10 years of community support for the Chick Ball, proceeds from the 2014 event will go to boost each and every program offered by the Center from prevention, to protection and ultimately, empowerment," Middleton says. "It is our privilege to stand beside these ladies and their children as they weave their way through the recovery process to become survivors.”
For this year, the JFP Chick Ball will be held in the Arts Center of Mississippi at 201 E. Pascagoula St. in downtown Jackson. Watch jfpchickball.com for performance updates and more.
Tickets are $5; attendees must be 18 or older. Tickets for door prizes donated by local merchants are $5 each.
The Center for Violence Prevention offers services and support for families in a interpersonal violence situations, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in the Jackson metro area and surrounding communities. The Center has a 24-hour crisis and referral line to assist with immediate needs and trained personnel to provide wide range of references and resources, along with emergency shelter.
Media are invited to attend the event. Please RSVP to get on the media list to [email protected]. We encourage advance interviews about domestic abuse in the area, especially focusing on the legal challenges.
Available for interview: Sandy Middleton, Center for Violence Prevention, 601-416-6157 Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press, 601-966-0834 Other domestic-violence experts and victims
Entertainment Line-up:
• 6:10 pm: Apache Rose Peacock
• 7:10 pm: Pam Confer
• 8 pm: Honor Heroes and Chicks We Love
• 8:45 pm: Spoken Word by Pam Junior
• 9 p.m.: St. Brigid
• 10 p.m.: Victoria Cross & the Formula
The JFP sent out this press release on the JFP Chick Ball today:
What: 10th Annual JFP Chick Ball When: July 19, 6 to 11 p.m. Where: Arts Center of Mississippi, 201 E. Pascagoula St., downtown Jackson How much: $5 cover Who Invited: All men and women, age 18+ Why: Combatting Domestic Abuse and Interpersonal Violence Dress: Anything, casual to dressy
All all about the JFP Chick Ball and the beneficiary: http://www.jfpchickball.com">http://www.jfpchickball.com
Event specifics: http://www.jfpchickball.com/2014-chick-ball-event.html">http://www.jfpchickball.com/2014-chick-ball-event.html
Silent Auction list: http://www.jfpchickball.com/auction-list.html">http://www.jfpchickball.com/auction-list.html
Sponsors: http://www.jfpchickball.com/sponsor-spotlight.html">http://www.jfpchickball.com/sponsor-spotlight.html
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID