Cass County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for children) hosted its fourth annual auction, CASAblanca, at the Mathews Conference Center on the campus of Southwestern Michigan College July 24.

Beth McLoughlin chaired the event again this year with help from the CASA board, volunteer advocates and staff.

“By any measure, the event was a roaring success,” CASA announced Friday.

CASA’s net income from the event exceeded $35,000.

Jim Ward, program director, remarked to the audience that it cost an average $1,000 to recruit, train, and support a new volunteer in their first year.

Cass County has approximately 150 children in foster care and this will allow the program to grow to support and advocate for many more abused and neglected children.

Approximately 180 people attended the event.

With seven different food stations to choose from, there was no reason to go hungry.

The food was donated by local restaurants, including Vlasicak’s Meat Market and Smokehouse, Maury’s Pub, Orchard Hills Country Club, Sauk Trail Bar and Grille, Wood Fire Trattoria, Caruso’s Candy Kitchen and S’ Wonderful Confections.

The event featured both a silent and live auction, with live entertainment throughout the night by the Dillon Brothers.  When it came time for the live auction, Jim Miller, the auctioneer, really turned it on.

He got top dollar for Notre Dame football tickets and Cubs and White Sox tickets. A mystery dinner at a Dowagiac church, wine tasting at Blackberry Farm on Diamond Lake and a foursome at the new Harbor Shores golf course all generated lively bidding.

A weekend get-away to Chicago and a Carriage House culinary event were also fought over.

A new item this year that was really popular was a weekend at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Another 3,000 pound rock, much to the amazement of the auctioneer, fetched a goodly sum.

But the biggest return always comes from the “call to the heart” — pure donations to help the CASA program train new volunteers to help the kids.

The Cass County CASA Board and program director would like to thank everyone who participated in this event for making it such a success.

They realize that the economy has impacted everyone and appreciate the generosity in this community and their willingness to support a worthy cause.

Cass County CASA was started by Judge Susan Dobrich of Cass County Family Court in 1995.

CASA is a not-for-profit agency of trained volunteers from the community who are appointed by the judge to advocate for abused and neglected children in foster care.  For more information about CASA contact Ward at (269) 445-4431 or casscocasa@yahoo.com.