Join us at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation’s 2024 annual fundraiser as we bring together our supporters, advocates, allies, and survivors to celebrate the work of ending sexual harm and uplift those who are making a difference. The program will feature an award ceremony to honor transformational leadership in culture change, as well as critical legal work accomplished for survivors of sexual harm.

Thursday, October 17, 2024

6:00 – 8:00 p.m. CDT

Skadden Arps: 320 S. Canal St. Chicago, IL 60606

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale now! Click here to register. Ticket sales will close at 12 p.m. on Oct. 17.

REGISTER NOW

Honorees and Speakers

Amanda Pyron – Visionary Award Honoree

Amanda Pyron serves as the Executive Director of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence. During her tenure, The Network has expanded membership to create impactful and effective campaigns to increase public funding for services, expand the safety net provided through the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, create new housing solutions, improve legal services to survivors, and, of course, to join CAASE in ending cash bail in Illinois. More importantly, she has earned the right to be surrounded by good people- leading a team of expert professionals who make her better every day. Amanda is an experienced professional in the domestic and family violence sector, having provided direct housing, services and advocacy to survivors in Washington, DC for over ten years. She also developed a national program for crime victims at the Department of Justice and trained nationally on the rights of crime victims after sentencing. Most recently, Amanda oversaw training, policy development, and research for a child welfare organization in the Republic of Ireland. Outside of work, she has been making dad jokes gender-neutral since 2009.

Chuck Smith – Legacy Builder Award Honoree

Chuck Smith is an experienced and highly regarded trial lawyer, who has served as Partner at Skadden Arps since 1988. He has represented many companies and their officers and directors in securities and derivative litigation, including Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, UBS, Sprint Corporation, Fidelity Investments, and Allstate Corporation. Mr. Smith has repeatedly been identified as among The Best Lawyers in America, ranked in Band 1 of Chambers USA for his work in securities litigation, and been named a Client Service All-Star by The BTI Consulting Group.

Mr. Smith is a frequent speaker on litigation, compliance and enforcement issues. In 2014 he was honored by the National Diversity Council for his leadership, resolve and outstanding achievements for the benefit of his clients, collaborators and community. Mr. Smith is a current member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, a trustee emeritus at Knox College, in Galesburg, Illinois, and he previously served on the University of Chicago Law School Council, a body comprised of judges, senior corporate executives and practicing lawyers that advises the law school on strategic matters.

CAASE is thrilled that Chuck has agreed to let us honor him with the Legacy Builder Award, which CAASE created to recognize his outstanding and exceptional service—both as a provider of pro bono legal services, and as an extraordinary, visionary, and generous mentor to colleagues. For more than a decade, Chuck has been known to CAASE not just for the generosity of his support for CAASE’s mission and clients, but for the ways in which he has been a steadfast and inspirational teacher, leader, and supporter of numerous women Attorneys at Skadden who have taken on the legal representation of people who have endured rape or sex trafficking.

K&L Gates – Pro Bono Excellence Award Honoree

K&L Gates is a recognized leader in offering pro bono assistance for cyber sexual abuse cases. In late 2014, K&L Gates created the Cyber Civil Rights Legal Project (CCRLP), a global K&L Gates pro bono project providing legal services to victims of nonconsensual pornography (i.e., “revenge porn”) whose sexually explicit images are distributed and displayed online without consent. The CCRLP utilizes the firm’s elite cybersecurity and cyber forensics practices, allowing volunteers to deliver quality pro bono services to victims across the globe. Since its inception, the CCRLP already has helped thousands of victims fight back against cyber harassment and reclaim their online identities. This year marked 10 years of service and more than 28,000 pro bono hours provided by K&L Gates under the CCRLP.

We are honored to award K&L Gates with the Pro Bono Excellence Award at Celebrating Allies 2024.

Josette Huang – Speaker

Survivor and former CAASE client

Guests will have the privilege of hearing directly from a survivor about the impact of sexual harm and the power of seeking justice with the support of compassionate allies. She is a former client of CAASE’s legal services and we’re honored to welcome her as a speaker.

Sauntè Harden-Tate – Performer

Writer and Spoken Word Artist

Sauntè Harden-Tate (pronounced Sahn-tay) is a Black American Chicago Westside Native, creative writer, Advocate, Community Educator, Trauma Advocate, proud mother of two, and wife. With a deep-rooted passion for healing, advocating, and educating the community on trauma, Saunte has over 10 years of advocacy and prevention work. With her deep understanding of trauma, Sauntè has a special affinity for uplifting and educating the community on the long-stemming traumas and struggles that disproportionately affect the black community. Knowing firsthand and witnessing the depth of trauma among black people, Sauntè has a profound desire to start the healing process. She created a web show called “Oh! We Gon’ Talk!” which facilitates conversations centered around generational trauma within the black community. Sauntè not only uses public speaking to advocate and educate, but she also uses poetry and writing to share with others about different traumas and emotions.

DONATE NOW

Donate

Support survivors and back our mission to end sexual harm by giving today. Here are some ways your donation helps us in the fight against sexual harm:

• $100 provides a stipend for survivors who share expertise and input on CAASE policies and programs
• $350 enables the Prevention team to conduct a one-hour training on sexting or pornography to a classroom of high school students
• $500 funds the hosting of one focus or support group for survivors
• $1,000 funds the purchase of one computer for a CAASE staffer
• $1,800 covers the cost of implementing one 5-session Prevention program to a high school classroom
• $5,000 covers the cost of resolving one legal matter for a survivor of sexual harm
• $7,500 pays for comprehensive legal services for one survivor for one year
• $10,000 resolves two legal matters for survivors

Generous Sponsors

Sponsoring Celebrating Allies is a wonderful way to support survivors and demonstrate a commitment to ending sexual harm. We welcome you to look over the sponsorship opportunities and contact Kaethe Morris Hoffer and take full advantage of sponsorship benefits. Call 773-244-2230 ext. 202 or email kmh@caase.org.

We are gladly accepting new sponsors up until the event. To be included in printed sponsor materials, we kindly ask you to submit your sponsorship by Tuesday, October 1.

Presenting Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Friedman Family Fund

Bronze Sponsors

Stay connected to CAASE and hear about all the amazing work we’re doing with your support by subscribing to CAASE’s newsletter and following us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.