KINGWOOD, W.Va. – Golfers will hit the links Saturday at the Preston County Club to raise money for CASA for Kids of Monongalia and Preston Counties.
The goal of the Second Annual tournament is to raise funds and awareness of the mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
“They follow children in the foster care system from start to finish during their time of care to help achieve permanency as quickly as possible,” said Crissi Christy, CASA of Monongalia and Preston Counties Executive Director.
CASA volunteers play a very important role in a child’s life when a court order separates them from their parents. The volunteers serve as the “eyes and ears” of the court gathering information from the children and families to make recommendations to a judge.
According to Christy, the number of foster children is increasing each year. Last year, in Monongalia and Preston Counties nearly 250 children received care and assistance.
“Right now, we’re not able to serve 100 percent of all the children in Mon and Preston Counties,” Christy said. “And that’s the point of this tournament is to bring awareness of this issue that we need to give every child in the foster care system what they deserve.”
Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, commit to seeing a child once a month, serve for at least one year and pass a criminal and child protective service background check.
“We have students, we have nurses, we have teachers, so anybody in the community that has a sense and desire to help we would gladly train you and gladly help you become a volunteer.”
Co-ed teams of four will compete for bragging rights and a variety of door prizes throughout the day. The $40 per person ticket price also includes food and can be purchased by calling 304-599-1087.
“We’ll have volunteers and board members sharing information about their experiences and more about our program,” Christy said. “It’s going to be a good time.”