FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrea Bruns, State Director/CEO
abruns@kentuckycasanetwork.org
(502) 238-2154
May 17, 2024 – The Kentucky CASA Network is partnering with Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell for the first Statewide Farm to Fork Dinner benefiting the Kentucky Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program.
“Funds raised for the event will be part of a new initiative to provide direct economic support to children in foster care to participate and engage in agricultural tourism throughout the state,” said Andrea Bruns, CASA State Director/CEO.
A portion of this year’s funds will go toward providing the opportunity for children in foster care to attend the Kentucky State Fair at no cost.
“Children in foster care deserve the same opportunities to experience exciting life events as other children in their communities. It is important to help open the doors to these opportunities that could impact their growth and development in such impressionable years,” Commissioner Jonathan Shell said.
In addition to attending this year’s State Fair and receiving the full experience of the fair midway, the funds raised through this dinner will further educational opportunities and experiences for foster youth across the Commonwealth to learn and experience Kentucky’s agricultural roots.
The Commissioner’s Farm to Fork Dinner will take place Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. Tickets can be purchased at kentuckycasanetwork.org/farm-to-fork/. Limited individual and full table tickets are available through July 15, 2024 (or until sold out).
About the Kentucky CASA Network
The Kentucky CASA Network is the state association for Court Appointed Special Advocates, as recognized in the Kentucky Revised Statutes, with a mission to support the development, growth, and continuation of local CASA programs in Kentucky. CASA programs recruit and train volunteers to advocate on behalf of children who have come into the court system as a result of dependency, neglect, or abuse. In 2023, 1,211 CASA volunteers advocated for 3,472 abused and neglected children statewide. Kentucky currently has 21 local CASA programs that cover more than 90 counties. For more information, please visit kentuckycasanetwork.org.
