Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center

    The non-profit children’s advocate agency, SafeHarbor had a successful “Raise the Roof” party last week, bringing in over $55,000 in donations through the benefit dinner and auction, according to SafeHarbor Executive Director Donna Koester.

    “I thought that if we could come out of this with $35,000 raised, it would have been a successful event,” said Koester. “Pat Summitt upped the ante with two auction items, offering two guest coach packages,” which brought in $7,400 a piece, according to Koester.

    The guest coach packages allow the winning bidder to sit behind the bench and make a locker room visit at a Lady Vols basketball game.

    Summitt was the featured guest speaker at Friday’s “Raise the Roof” party, but wasn’t the only local celebrity at the event.

    Sevier County’s first local to be appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court, former Sevierville Mayor Gary R. Wade, also attended SafeHarbor’s fundraiser, giving the dinner’s toast and blessing. “Judge Wade offered words of encouragement and support and we appreciate him sharing his time with us,” Koester said.

    Some of the money that was raised at Friday’s event will e earmarked for a building fund for a Child Advocacy Center (CAC), a first for the Fourth Judicial District (Sevier, Cocke, Jefferson and Grainger counties).

    “We still need to hire staff and move into a temporary facility as soon as possible, so we can actually start serving the kids, then we’ll work towards a new facility,” Koester said.

    The aim of SafeHarbor is to aid severely neglected and physically abused children in the area by assisting law enforcement officers, child protective services and other pertinent parties.

    SafeHarbor President Barry Fain said a CAC would allow abused children to get into counseling quickly and comfortably in a child-friendly atmosphere. The center would provide one central location for everyone involved, allowing the child to recount his or her story once, to a qualified forensic interviewer “who is trained to speak on the child’s level,” Fain said.

    Often a child must be questioned at a police station, examined at a hospital and then counseled at yet another facility. Housing these services under one roof helps reduce potential stress for the child and the non-offending parent. Fain also said CACs have shown to be helpful in prosecuting these cases.

    “We’re one of the few districts that does not have one (a CAC),” said SafeHarbor’s President of the Board of Directors Donna J. Koester.

    In February, Sevierville city officials voted to approve a lease agreement with SafeHarbor for the establishment of the district’s first CAC. The lease agreement allows the non-profit corporation to build its center on city-owned land on McMahan Avenue