The Cass County Court Appointed Special Advocates program is inviting community to attend its 11th annual dinner and auction at 6 p.m. Friday, June 23, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Edwardsburg.

The evening will include a reception hosted by Judge Susan L. Dobrich. Thereafter, the evening will include dinner with an open bar.

During dinner, Goivan Bazan will speak about the valuable lessons he has learned growing up in the foster care system, living through the juvenile justice and mental health system. Bazan is a nationally known motivational speaker, youth advocate and teen mentor.

After dinner, a live auction and raffle drawing will take place. Proceeds from this fundraiser directly pay for CASA’s operating costs and budget.

This year’s auction items include:

• Weekend trip to Chicago, with a two-night stay at the Talbott Hotel

• Mackinac Island Getaway, with two nights at the Grand Hotel

• Four-night stay at a cottage on the AuSable River

• Family fun weekend in Indianapolis

• MSU basketball tickets for four people

• Four tickets to Notre Dame/North Carolina State football game — includes parking pass

• Thirty bottles of wine along with a cooler

• One hundred bottles of craft beer

• Evening Magician Lake boat cruise and dinner

• A 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs signed batting helmet. This package includes tickets to Pirates vs. Cubs game in Chicago.

This year’s raffle winner will have the opportunity to choose between one of three vacations with airfare: Vintner Adventure in Somona, a Costa Rica getaway or a Pebble Beach golf retreat. Raffle tickets can be purchased the night of the dinner and auction or from staff or a board member leading up to the event.

Cass County CASA is a nonprofit organization that was brought to Cass County in 1995 by Judge Dobrich.

A volunteer CASA provides a unique one-on-one relationship with youths that are in foster care. They volunteer their time to make sure their assigned child is safe, have an opportunity to thrive, and, most importantly, they act as a voice for abused and neglected children in the court system.

In 2016, Cass County CASA served 56 youth that were placed in foster care.

For more information, visit the CASA website at casscocasa.org. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchase at the CASA office in Cassopolis. Tables of eight are available.

All contributions are tax deductible. For more information, contact Erica Boulanger or Jim Ward at (269) 445-4431 or casscocasa2@yahoo.com.