RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Guests wore white attire, danced under the stars, mixed and mingled, played casino games, and enjoyed a beautiful summer evening with friends that benefited a great cause. 

The Child Advocacy Center hosted the 7th Annual Light Up the Night Party to celebrate the end of the summer on Friday, September 6, 2024 at Oakland’s Mansion.  The party of the season included entertainment, casino games with “fun money,” dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres, open bar, and an amazing silent auction.  VIP tables for parties of 10 were reserved indoors and came with personal wine bottles and monogrammed glasses.

The following community supporters sponsored the event including Ernest and Peggy Burgess, Bridgestone, F&M Bank, Helping Hands Middle TN, Jobe Hastings and Associates, Kiwanis Club, Modern Woodman Financial, Murfreesboro Flower Shop, Oaklands Mansion, Pinnacle Bank, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Smyrna Auto Wash, LLC, Deb Insell State Farm, Dana Womack State Farm, Swanson Companies, Volunteer Behavioral Health, Volunteer State Bank, and Wilson Bank.

The delicious food was donated by our favorite local restaurants Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, Bar Louis, Buffalo Wild Wings, Champy’s, Chicken Salad Chick, Five Daughters Bakery, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Jo’s Custom Cakes & Catering, Primrose Table, Puckett’s, Sweet Addiction, and Whitt’s BBQ. Alcohol for the event was generously donated by Old Fort Liquor & Wine and Love Tito’s.

Child Advocacy Center board president Catherine Post gave a touching toast that recognized the outstanding work of the Child Protective Investigative team. The band was Hammbone with lead singer Peyton Hamm, Jackson Hosford on guitar, Connor McCormick on bass, and Coby Castle on drums.

One of the highlights of the night is always the fabulous silent auction.  If you did not pick up your auction items on Friday night, please contact Development Coordinator Karista Colwell to schedule a pick-up time that is convenient for you.

The event sponsorships support the work of the Child Advocacy Center and the Child Protective Investigative Team that responds to child abuse cases, investigates the crime, aggressively prosecutes offenders, helps children heal from the trauma, and helps families rebuild their shattered lives.  In the last 24 years, the Center and the Child Protective Investigative Team have positively impacted the lives of 13% of the population of Rutherford and Cannon Counties – 46,259 people!

Child Advocacy Center Director Sharon De Boer said, “The Child Advocacy Center wants to thank the Light Up the Night Event Committee for organizing the best Light Up the Night end of summer party that we have ever had.”  The committee members included: Elizabeth Benton, Karista Colwell, Presley Hosford, Barbara Johnson, Mary Nhotsavang, Teresa Ojeda, Tracy Sheppard, and Jessica Wauchek.  “If you want to join this fun group of women and help plan next year’s event, contact Karista Colwell at (615) 867-9000 or kcolwell@cacrutherford.org.”