Judge Rosemarie Aquilina
Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults (Partnership) will honor the original 24 founding members of the Sexual Assault & Crisis Resource Center at RISE 2019, Friday, April 26, 7 p.m. at The Chattanoogan Hotel.
"These individuals were instrumental in creating and providing support services for victims of sexual violence, and raised over $700,000 in 1995 to open what is known today as Partnership’s Rape Crisis Center," officials said.
"While some of the founding members are no longer with us, we are delighted to be able to recognize them all, and personally thank those who will be with us at RISE,” said Pam Ladd, Chief Executive Officer.
Founding members include: Andrea Adams, Jamie Bergmann, Tobey Carpenter, Rick Carrigan, Anita Chastain, Kay Chitty, Helen Cooper, Amos Croft, Leslie Davenport, Penni Dickerson, Eva Dillard, Sally Durand, Jeannine Alday Gregg, Gayle Haberkam, Jim Hammond, Neil Herrick, Anne Johnson, Marsha Parks Logan, June McEwen, Joselyn Pop, Mary Price, Louis Prosterman, Daniel Soteres, Mary Neill Southerland, Barrett Taylor, Jerri Underwood, Betty Vannucci and Lynda Whittimore.
“I was looking for a way to be involved in the community at a deeper level and I discovered that Chattanooga was one of the few Southern cities that did not have a rape crisis center for adults,” said Dr. Daniel Soteres, who currently lives in Colorado Springs. “My interest in this issue sparked into overdrive when I learned one of my closest, lifelong friends had been sexually abused as a child and never confided in anyone. Now, I am returning from Colorado to attend RISE and I am honored to be part of this special event."
"The keynote speaker for RISE is Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who empowered over 150 women to speak out against U.S.A. Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar and sentenced Nassar up to 175 years in prison," organizers said. In December, Judge Aquilina was named as one of 2018’s Women of the Year by Glamour Magazine.
RISE will support all programs and services of Partnership. Tickets are $100 and tables of eight are $1,000. Register online at PartnershipFCA.com/RISE or call 423-697-3827.