On Saturday evening, April 4th, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel and Casino was the place to be. In days gone by, the Stagecoach Days Cotton Pickin’ Barn Dance was the event of the year. Now it seems the Against Abuse, Inc. Seeds of Change Gala is the Maricopa event.
Proceeds from the event go directly toward building an Against Abuse, Inc. women and children’s shelter in the City of Maricopa. Although the land for the shelter has already been donated, the organization needs to raise enough money to actually build the building. Sponsorships and auction items for the Gala came from all areas: individuals, families, large businesses, and small businesses.
Domestic violence is far more common than most of us know or would like to admit. It stretches across all races, both genders, and all socioeconomic circumstances. It’s easy to ignore the problem – because often the victims hide it like it a secret from the rest of us.
Although Against Abuse, Inc. has four shelters in Pinal County (three in Casa Grande and one in Apache Junction), all four are consistently full.
The Gala this year had a sold out attendance of 280. With all of the guests at Harrah’s Ballroom in elegant evening attire, it didn’t look much like cotton- and dairy- and horse-country in Maricopa! Included in the auction following dinner were items made specifically for the event, including a lovely handmade queen size quilt and an elegant handmade table with inlaid tooled leather. In all, the event raised over $30,000 for the planned domestic violence shelter.
If you would like more information about Against Abuse, Inc., you can visit the website at www.against-abuse.org. The Seeds of Change website details the history of the Gala at www.maricopaseedsofchange.org.