To the Editor:

On Sunday afternoon, March 9 at McCarter Theatre, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of Mercer and Burlington Counties held a benefit reception and performance of Cirkopolis, presented by Cirque Eloize. The event raised over $47,000 to benefit abused and neglected children served by CASA volunteers in Mercer County.

One hundred and fifty guests enjoyed delicious desserts and the interactive magic of Anthony Salazar during the pre-performance reception. They also bid on an array of silent auction items that included a week in Kennebunkport, Maine and an overnight stay at the Philadelphia Zoo. Of course, the magical performance of Cirkopolis by the Cirque Eloize troupe of dancers, acrobats, jugglers and other “athletic artists” amazed our attendees of widely varying ages. The entire experience was a tribute to our dedicated community volunteer advocates and the children they serve.

CASA for Children of Mercer and Burlington Counties is an independent, non-profit organization committed to speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in both of these counties. The organization’s advocates, appointed by the Family Court judge, help ensure that these children’s medical, dental, mental health, educational, and recreational needs are addressed.

We extend our sincere thanks to our generous event sponsors: Our lead sponsor was DiversityInc at the High-Flyer level; Eckert Seamans was a Juggler sponsor; and Fox Rothschild LLP and Richard and Andrea Stine were sponsors at the Dancer level, while Princeton Orthodontics contributed as a Strongman Sponsor. We could not have held such a successful fund-raiser without our event committee, led by co-chairs Susan Smotrich and Cindy Hollender, and members Amy Decker, Amy Heffern, Susan Paterson, Debbi Roldan, and Andrea Stine.

We’re grateful for the continued generous support of so many, support that enables us to continue to help foster children achieve what is their basic human right — to have a safe and permanent home and family of his or her own. To learn more about the opportunity to be a CASA volunteer, visit www.casamercer.org or contact Volunteer Coordinator Leontyne Anglin at (609) 434-0050.

Randall Kirkpatrick

Director of Community Development

CASA for Children of Mercer and Burlington Counties