CASA’s Retro Party - a fun fundraiser

On Saturday, April 26, CASA, held its 15th Annual Retro Dance Party at Harris Pavillion, in Old Town Manassas.  It was a fundraiser to support efforts to help abused, abandoned, and neglected children. 

This year’s theme, The Big “O” Birthday Party, with a special invitation to people celebrating a milestone, end of decade birthday like the 60th , 70th , or 80th.  The first 60 people celebrating a Big “O” birthday were admitted for free.

Every year, CASA, the Court Appointed Special Advocates non-profit, encourages people to show up to the Retro Party wearing the clothes they would in a past decade. 

Some of the more dramatic costumes, this year, included a 20s flapper; some 50s Elvises; and of course the ever popular late 60s look with many wearing tie dye tee shirts, beads, head bands, and with one young man sporting a giant afro and an outsized peace sign pendent.

Reminiscent of early 60s fashion, a few wore mod style dresses with big geometric flower designs and white knee boots.  The MC for the evening wore his father’s 1971 Palm Beach leisure suit.

Local restaurants provided food as cuisine contributors. 

One of the fun-raising fundraiser events, the Krazy Karaoke contest, featured surprisingly talented performers.  The audience, after each singer performed, could vote for him or her to win by donating to a box with the performer’s number.  The singer who inspired the most donations for CASA won the karaoke contest.  Before every contestant performed, each acknowledged that, because of the donations, every singer would score a win for CASA.

Later the bands, Type A Band and Easy Street, played for the crowd that came out to support CASA.  And, another fun way to donate came along with the music. Donors would bid for the privilege to tell a band what song to play.  The opening band did have to wait until someone won the bid before it could kick of the evening with the first song.  Once it got going, the songs rolled out and the donations rolled in for the rest of the evening.

Funded solely by grants, corporate gifts, community donations and fundraisers. CASA Children’s Intervention Services (CIS) of Greater Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock has helped 600 children this year. 

  CASA volunteers help abused, neglected, and abandoned children get the needed services to prevent them getting lost in the system. “CASA is really an extra set of eyes and ears for the court and for those who care about that child,” said Charlyn Hassan-Brown, CIS Executive Director.  She also said that a court appointed advocate can make a difference to a child who might have “feelings of shame and pain and fear and of having no value, of feeling like they brought everything on themselves, and they don’t deserve to be loved. 

Although CASA has 140 advocates, more are needed to become advocates.   
 
Hasson-Brown said that grants are becoming more difficult to get, and “We find ourselves having to do more and more events to take in sufficient funding to take care of the children, and the increase in children that we experience every year.”

Among other events, every year in September CASA holds its signature fundraising event at Harris Pavillion:  An Evening Under the Stars, a romantic, black tie optional, swing dance. 

To learn more about CASA or see details for these and other events call 703-330-8145 or go to http://www.casacis.org .