By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
CASA's annual Chocolate Auction provides more than 85 percent of the agency's annual funding. The event is typically held on the first Saturday of February. With a scheduling conflict at the Great Bend Events Center this year, the 2023 auction will take place just before Valentine's Day on Feb. 11. CINC (Child in Need of Care) Coordinator Karrie Hammeke said it should be a festive evening.
"It's a real feel-good night," she said. "It's so humbling to see people giving back to the community. You can't but feel good when you're there. We'll have some auction items that would make great Valentine's Day gifts. It would be a nice date-out for a couple."
CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, serve as advocates for abused and neglected children by providing volunteers to assist in the court process.
"We're there to have eyes and ears on the foster child," Hammeke said, "and just make sure the case is moving along, the child's needs are being met, the parents are meeting the requirements, and there's communication between the different agencies that are involved, and people understand what's expected and what's going on."
The Chocolate Auction will feature both silent and live auctions on Saturday, Feb. 11. The silent auction and chocolate fountain begin at 5:30 p.m. that evening at the Great Bend Events Center. Tickets begin at $60 and can be purchased online through the Central Kansas CASA Facebook page or by visiting centralkansascasa.org.