A local child welfare organization is calling for unique donations to be included in an upcoming auction.
Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children (CASA) is set to host their second annual Kentucky Derby themed auction online in early April. Officials said they aim to raise money to support children undergoing abuse and neglect cases throughout Rowan, Bath, Montgomery, and Menifee counties.
Beth Ellis, executive director of CASA of Gateway, said as they work to advocate for kids, the expenses add up.
"Making the community aware about the volunteer opportunities so we can recruit more volunteers, training the volunteers costs quite a bit of money. We put people on the road to travel to different courts, different home visits,” said Ellis. “The mileage is always an expense that we have to look at. There’s lots of ways that it directly impacts these children.”
Ellis added donations of all kinds are welcome for people or organizations wanting to support CASA of Gateway.
“We are going to be auctioning off some really exciting derby-themed items as far as like decor or even some merchandise from Churchill Downs. We’ve got plenty of bourbon to auction off, purses, just all kinds of different things, and all of the proceeds go towards advocating for abused and neglected children in the Gateway region,” said Ellis.
The auction takes place on CASA of Gateway’s Facebook page and will extend from April 5 to April 12, and donations aren’t required to fit the derby description.
According to CASA of Gateway, nearly 150 children in the region were reported in substantiated abuse and neglect cases in 2023. Ellis added the organization successfully trained 21 volunteers in 2024, its first full year of operation.