Greater Lakes Child Advocacy Center plans annual gala, other events

LACONIA — The Greater Lakes Child Advocacy Center (GLCAC) announces its upcoming events seeking community support for its mission of assisting victims of child abuse and conducting abuse prevention programs throughout Belknap County.

On Friday evening, October 17, the GLCAC holds its annual gala, the 6th Annual A Knight for the Children Gala at the Lake Opechee Inn and Spa in Laconia. The evening will include dinner donated by various Lakes Region restaurants, a live/silent auction and entertainment by New England comedian Juston McKinney. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.cac~nh.org/knight.

On November 22-24, Sticks and Stone Farm, 107 White Oak Road, Center Barnstead will host a Christmas Tree Festival to benefit the GLCAC.

The Greater Lakes Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit agency that relies on fundraising for its services. It opened its doors in 2005. Child Advocacy Centers are on the front lines of the fight against child abuse, offering safe, child friendly locations throughout New Hampshire where young victims can disclose abuse to forensically-trained interviewers and where law enforcement child protection staff and prosecution coordinate investigations to ensure justice, and where victim advocates and social services plan for each child's recovery.

"We have been so fortunate in Belknap County to have the support and engagement of the community as most folks recognize the debilitating and long terms effect of abuse on children." said Meghan Noyes, GLCAC Program Director. "We continue to need that support, of course, and our upcoming Knight for Children and the Christmas Tree Festival are two fun ways for the community to further the work of ending child abuse."