Safe Horizon’s 11th Annual Champion Awards Luncheon, Honoring Heroes, Championing Children, opened with a montage of photographs of children, a montage that ended with a startling statistic, “Every day in this country, more than four children die as a result of child abuse in the home.”  
 
This poignant opening segment set the tone for the entire luncheon hosted by actor B.D. Wong of Law & Order: SVU.  More than 900 of New York’s civic, corporate and community leaders gathered as Safe Horizon shared stories, renewed our commitment to helping victims move from crisis to confidence, and honored those that have gone to extraordinary lengths to help Safe Horizon give voice to victims of abuse and violence.  
 
Raising His Voice
The keynote speaker was José Raúl Pérez, a committed Safe Horizon Board Member, an executive at People en Español and a survivor of child abuse.  Following a particularly severe beating by his abusive stepfather when José was eight-years-old, José spent six weeks in an intensive care unit, where, he said, “I realized what mattered most was to survive, so that one day, I could tell the truth.”  The Champion Awards Luncheon provided him a powerful opportunity to do just that.

Sharing Stories
People Magazine was presented with a 2006 Champion Award for giving voice to countless victims by covering issues related to violence and abuse.  Martha Nelson, Editor, People Group, accepted the award, noting People Magazine’s nearly 30-year history featuring ordinary women and men overcoming extraordinary circumstances.
 
Leading Change
The Honorable Christine Quinn, Speaker, New York City Council, was not only our event’s Honorary Chair, but was also presented with the Champion for Children Award in recognition of her leadership and the City Council’s ongoing support of Safe Horizon’s vital services. The Speaker issued a call to action, urging attendees to join the Council to create a three-way partnership - the government, the private sector, and Safe Horizon to support victims of violence. 

Breaking the Cycle of Violence
The luncheon ended with the presentation of the 3rd Annual Liz Claiborne Champion Award, which honors a Safe Horizon client and survivor of family or relationship violence who has made extraordinary strides to overcome the cycle of violence and abuse.  This year’s recipient, Morgan Ramses, shared her incredible story of triumph.
 
Supporting Vital Services
Moving more than 350,000 victims of violence like Morgan from crisis to confidence each year requires substantial funding, and there are always more people who need our help than we have the capacity to reach.  The $1 million this luncheon raised is a testament to the confidence that so many supporters have in our vital services.   With your continued support, we hope to help even more men, women and children in the coming year.  
 
To view pictures of the event, visit our slideshow. 

To view José Raúl Pérez's video, click here.

View the invitation and reply card.

Read coverage of our luncheon's kick-off at the Calvin Klein Collection store, or view event photos.

Press Contact:
Sydney Masters
Creative Public Relations
212.580.0835
sydneymasters@rcourihaycpr.com.