Celebrity and child advocate Sophie Tweed-Simmons will be attending the Gala of Hope supporting The Centre for Child Development and Sophie’s Place Child & Youth Advocacy Centre tomorrow (Oct. 22) in Langley.
It’s going to be a family affair, as Tweed-Simmons will be joined by her father, KISS rocker Gene Simmons and her mother, Canadian model and actress Shannon Tweed.
Named after their patron, Sophie Tweed-Simmons, Sophie’s Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre allows children and youth ages 18 and under to report their experience of physical, mental or sexual abuse in a child-friendly space where they feel safe and welcome.
Since 2012, their trained staff and law enforcement professionals have worked to ensure the children they see are heard, and their families have the support they need.
According to The Centre for Child Development, one in three girls, and one in six boys in Canada are sexually abused before they reach adulthood.
“It’s really important that kids have a place to go where they can be taken seriously, and where they can express what’s happened to them in a safe environment,” said Tweed-Simmons.
In the last year, Sophie’s Place has conducted more than 200 interviews with abused children and spent close to 17,000 hours investigating these crimes.
This year’s Gala takes place at Langley’s Newlands Golf and Country Club, 21025 48 Ave.
Tickets are limited. To purchase, please visit: http://the-centre.org/events/.
Donations can also be made online at http://the-centre.org/child-abuse/.
