The Dade County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting their second annual banquet and fundraiser to be held at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Grand Ballroom, Saturday, Aug. 16, from 5-10 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Children's Advocacy Center, Dade County Sheriff’s Officer Fund, and Hope for the Holidays.
In 2013, beginning his first term as sheriff of Dade County, Ray Cross saw an urgent and immediate need for the officers to have acceptable uniforms, boots, and bullet proof vests. Upon assessment of the officers' clothing, he noticed boots with holes in them, worn shirts and pants, and eight-year-old bullet proof vests that had been expired for three years. Working with extreme budget restraints, yet wanting to upgrade the officer’s attire, Sheriff Cross decided to hold a fundraiser. The revenue from the fundraiser would not only benefit the officers, it would also help keep spending down and ultimately benefit the taxpayers as well.
Having been invited to serve on the Children’s Advocacy Board, Sheriff Cross became knowledgeable about the workings of the group. He knows first-hand the work they do to intervene in the lives of abused children and their non-offending family members. They offer support for the physical and emotional safety of children and their non-offending caretakers while facilitating joint investigations conducted by specially trained professionals.
The Children’s Advocacy Center is anxious to make a difference and meet the challenges of the judicial circuit region of Dade, Walker, Catoosa and Chattooga Counties, said officials. For these reasons, Sheriff Cross has included the Children’s Advocacy Center as a recipient of the Dade County Sheriff’s Office Fundraiser.
Hope for the Holidays has been an ongoing Christmas time event at the Dade County Sheriff’s Office. In 2012, the funds were almost completely depleted so the sheriff, his staff, and officers worked to see that these funds were built up to handle the amount of requests in 2013. Having seen the impact that this program has had on the lives of the disadvantaged children in Dade County, Sheriff Cross decided to add Hope for the Holidays to the list of recipients for this year’s event.
The night’s itinerary is as follows: Doors will open at 5 p.m. for the silent auction. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. with the live auction beginning at 7 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m. Corporate tables (eight people) are $320 and individual tickets are $40. For table and ticket sales, contact the Dade County Sheriff’s Office at 706.657-3233. To contribute auction items for the fundraiser or reserve seating, please ask for Carolyn Bradford Lane. Contributions are tax deductible.
Wes Hixon of Wes Hixon’s Outdoor Adventures is the chairman of the Dade County Sheriff’s Office Fundraiser and Banquet for the second year. Mr. Hixson is to be commended because this fundraiser would not be possible without his input and contacts, said officials.
New auction items are being added daily. To view items that will be available in the live auction please go to www.weshixson.com and select the Fundraiser tab or visit facebook.com/events/893258540687550/, or www.dadesheriff.com.