Garden Bling benefits FAIR Fund
It was a gathering of over 100 guests at the home of Chef Todd & Ellen Kassoff Gray on Saturday, as they opened their doors to host “Garden Bling-a glamorously unadorned garden party” to benefit FAIR Fund.
The party included food from the kitchens of Chef Todd Gray of Equinox, Chef Michel Richard of Citronelle and Central Michel Richard and Cuisine Solutions as well as wines from Winebow and the Country Vintner, with biodegradable service products from Neal Perry of Adams-Burch and live musical performances by Mike Reisman and Pilgrim & Trout (Greg Whipp and David Majerowcz).
Featured was handmade jewelry available for sale from FAIR fund’s Jewelgirls, an income generation and art therapy program that supports 200 teen women in Bosnia, Serbia, Russia, Uganda, and Washington D.C. Through JewelGirls, participants come together to create unique jewelry while gaining access to therapy, new life skills, financial management skills, and pathways toward a future free of poverty and violence.
FAIR Fund’s executive director Andrea Powell, board member Katy Adams and Ellen Gray addressed the crowd who were transfixed by stories of both adversity and success. The event raised close to $8000 in just a few hours.
Guests included nutritionist Katherine Tallmadge, WUSA 9’s Jessica Doyle, Nikki Schwab of the Examiner’s Yeas & Nays, Pentagon Channel’s Judy Plavnick Kiley and husband Sean, WJLA’s Brandis Griffith Friedman and husband Jason, WTOP’s Man about Town Bob Madigan, photographer Moshe Zusman and wife Ashley Katz Zusman and Janine Schoonover of Serendipity 3 and Rhino Bar.
FAIR Fund is a D.C. based international nonprofit organization, works to prevent human trafficking and sexual violence in the lives of youth, especially girls, around the world. FAIR Fund builds the capacity of communities to better identify and assist youth aged 11 to 24 who are at high risk or have been exploited via human trafficking and sexual violence. FAIR Fund has active programs in Bosnia, Chicago, Illinois, Serbia, Russia, Washington, D.C, and Uganda.
FAIR Fund approach combines preventative education workshops, outreach to exploited youth, and art therapy for girl survivors. FAIR Fund also provides adult ally training to teachers, social workers, educators, police, judges, lawyers, medical professionals, and students on how to best identify and assist high risk and sexually exploited or trafficked teens. Our team is comprised of a Board of Directors, 6 staff, 20 to 30 volunteers, and over 1,500 active college student allies who will become the leaders of the future youth anti-trafficking and sexual assault prevention movements. FAIR Fund is the proud co-chair of the D.C. Alliance of Youth Advocates Homeless Youth Committee. To donate or for further information, see www.fairfund.org.