Press Release: Boston Area Rape Crisis Center to Mark 45th Anniversary with Gala Event

Celebration Will Include Author Roxane Gay and Dory Cote, BARCC’s Very First Hotline Caller

The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) announces today that tickets are available for its annual Champions for Change Gala & Auction, which will take place Friday, November 9, 2018, 6:00–11:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. With the theme “Trailblazers: Honoring the Past and Our Vision for the Future,” the event will mark BARCC’s 45th anniversary of providing direct services to survivors of sexual assault and harassment and working to end sexual violence through public education and advocacy.

The event will feature remarks from Roxane Gay, a best-selling author whose work has shaped current discourse about sexual assault in our culture and how to eradicate it; and survivor speaker Dory Cote, the first person to seek BARCC services after the organization launched its hotline in 1973.

Proceeds raised from the event will support BARCC’s free, comprehensive direct services, public education, and advocacy work.

This year’s gala will also honor Dr. Judith Linden and Stephen Marcus as BARCC’s Champions for Change. For more than a decade, individually and as a pair, and both personally and professionally, Linden and Marcus have been generous allies to BARCC and survivors.

“Our Champions of Change Gala is always an uplifting, inspiring, and fun event because we celebrate the resilience of survivors, the achievements of our most dedicated supporters, and their impact on survivors and the broader culture,” said BARCC Executive Director Gina Scaramella. “As BARCC marks 45 years of assisting survivors and working for social change, we are ever aware that changing the culture around sexual violence takes time, patience, strategy, and resources. All of this work is made possible by the support of our gala attendees.”

Tito Jackson, former Boston city councilor and CEO of Verdant Medical, will serve as the evening’s emcee. Star Benefit auctioneer Erin Ward will host live and silent auctions that offer exciting travel excursions, delicious dining experiences, and other unique packages. There will also be cocktails, fine cuisine, and a DJ and dancing to close out the evening.

Sponsors of the Champions for Change Gala & Auction include Ropes & Gray, Uber, BITS - Boston IT Services Inc., BMC HealthNet Plan, Boston Medical Center, Eastern Bank, Goulston & Storrs, Morgan Lewis, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Northeastern University, and Sherin & Lodgen.

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available. Contact us at events@barcc.org or 617-902-2920 for more information.

Early bird ticket pricing is available through Sept. 30 with tickets at $225 per person and tables of 10 available for $2,000 each. Regular pricing begins Oct. 1, with tickets priced at $250 per person and tables of 10 at $2,250. Tickets and tables are available online at barcc.org/gala or by calling 617-902-2920.

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About Boston Area Rape Crisis Center

Since 1973, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) has been a leader in the movement to end sexual violence. BARCC empowers survivors of sexual violence to heal and provides education and advocacy for the social change needed to prevent sexual violence. BARCC provides free, confidential support to survivors of sexual violence and their families and friends. It also works with high schools, colleges, police, organizations, and communities to advocate for change by providing training in how to respond to survivors and create cultures that prevent sexual violence in the first place. For more information, please visit barcc.org. Follow BARCC on social media: Twitter @barcc; Instagram @barccofficial; Facebook /barcc.org.