The Charles Lafitte Foundation (CLF) will host its 11th annual Charity Golf Classic on June 30 at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, Union County.
All proceeds from the event will benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Jersey, a volunteer-based nonprofit that assists the court and child welfare systems to ensure the safety and well-being of children who are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, according to a press release.
“More than 13,000 children in New Jersey are living in foster care. That is why the mission of CASA and the services it provides are so vital in our community. CASA volunteers work tirelessly to ensure every child has a caring environment where they can grow and thrive,” said Jeffrey Citron, co-founder of the Charles Lafitte Foundation.
“Every child needs someone to advocate and look out for them. We can help make that happen.”
CLF founders Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron will match each donation from the golf outing, dollar for dollar. Last year’s event raised a record $730,000 for the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide.
Over the past 11 years, the Charity Golf Classic has raised more than $5 million to improve the lives of countless individuals, according to the press release.
CASA currently reaches about 3,000 children a year. Its volunteers work to ensure the safety and well-being of New Jersey’s most vulnerable citizens — abused and neglected youth in placement.
After being assigned to a case composed of either a single child or a family of children, CASA volunteers advocate exclusively on behalf of a child’s best interests in court.
Specifically, the funds raised at CLF’s Charity Golf Classic will support the implementation of CASA’s Peer Coordinator Model, an organizational change that will increase the number of children served, according to the press release.
CASA volunteers work alongside attorneys, social workers, teachers, therapists, doctors and family members in the child’s life to provide regular updates to the court. And they remain on the case for as long as it takes until the child in placed in a safe, permanent home.
Donations of any amount are welcome and will be matched by CLF.
For more information, visit charleslafitte.org/events/2014golfclassic or contact Jennifer Vertetis by sending an email to [email protected].