>the CASA Advocate  Latest Item  >Next 3 Items  >News Archive

Child Advocates of Placer County Receives $10,000 Dan Higgins Award
July, 2007

“On behalf of the Dan Higgins Award, Auburn Lions is happy to have the opportunity to give back to the Auburn community, and feel that Child Advocates will put the funds to great beneficial use.”
                              -- Russs Lewis

(Auburn, CA) - At Auburn Lions Club 80th anniversary of community service dinner, Child Advocates of Placer County was presented with the Dan Higgins Award of $10,000.

“We are honored Auburn Lions recognizes the value of the CASA program and awarded us this truly generous gift. The Dan Higgins award will help Child Advocates of Placer County move closer to our goal of providing a CASA volunteer for every Placer County foster child who needs one,” said executive director Don Kleinfelder.

“On behalf of the Dan Higgins Award, Auburn Lions is happy to have the opportunity to give back to the Auburn community, and feel that Child Advocates will put the funds to great beneficial use”, said Russ Lewis, Auburn Lion President.

The Dan Higgins Award originated in 2004 through the Auburn Host Lions governing board, agreeing to give one-third of the club's charitable fund or $10,000 dollars (whichever was higher) to an Auburn area non-governmental nonprofit to further the needs of that organization. A committee screens and selects three applications that are presented to the board. The board discusses the merits of the applications and votes. The organization receiving the most votes receives the Dan Higgins Award.

The late Mr. Dan Higgins was a lifelong member of the Auburn Host Lions and served as its president as well as District 4C5 Governor. Dan is known for his countless years of service as District Attorney for Placer County as well as his service as city councilman and mayor, a board trustee for Alta Vista School, and president of the Placer County Bar Association. Dan also founded the Higgins-Diggins Lions Club. The Auburn Host Lions wanted to honor Dan's service by naming this community award after him.

About Child Advocates of Placer County
Child Advocates of Placer County has been in service since 2003 managing the Placer County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. Currently serving 30 foster children and has 36 trained CASA volunteers. There are nearly 400 children removed from their homes in Placer County each year as a result of abuse, neglect, or violence in the home. CASA’s mission is to train, recruit, and manage volunteers who look after the interests of children caught up in the court system. Our mission is to work to ensure every child in Placer County that needs a CASA gets a CASA. For more information about CASA, visit http://www.nationalcasa.org/

About Auburn Host Lions Club
Auburn Host Lions Club was started in 1927 representing over 80 years of a proud heritage of community service that currently features many successful fund-raising efforts.  The mission is simple and focused: Auburn Lions Club is a service organization whose top priority is to support programs for the blind and visually impaired and Lions International sight campaigns. The Club’s focus has always remained local as a service organization: 100% of the funds raised go back into the Auburn community. This club meets weekly at noon at the Tahoe Club.  For more information visit: http://www.auburnhostlions.org/index.html

MEDIA & NEWS: >the CASA Advocate  Latest Item  >Next 3 Items  >News Archive
Contents ©2008 Child Advocates of Placer County