Ocean Ridge Charities Association Inc.
Serving the Brunswick County Community
The Carousel Center
MGDG Represented at Carousel Child Advocacy Center Luncheon
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Brunswick Community College
Odell Williamson Auditorium
Men’s Grilled Dinner Group (MGDG) Planning Team members, John Santini and Edson Munekata, joined the Ocean Ridge Charities Association (ORCA) today at the Carousel Child Advocacy Center’s (CCAC) inaugural “Everyday Heroes Award Luncheon”.
The CCAC is one of the two ORCA-vetted charities that the MGDG is donating to this year with funds raised during our dinners and at other events such as grilling at the Social Activities Committee’s “Tunes at the Pool” throughout the summer.
So far this year the MGDG has donated more than $2,200 to CCAC through ORCA and hopes to see that amount increase with funds raised during the October 10 “Tunes at the Pool” and donations made at the November and December MGDG dinners.
CCAC’s mission is to support healing, promote justice, and foster resilience in children victimized by physical and sexual abuse, and improve our community through education, prevention, and advocacy.
CCAC awarded their 2024 “Everyday Heroes Award” to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office for their exceptional commitment to child sexual abuse prevention and their achievement of the International Honor or Partner in Prevention designation recognizing organizations that ensure over 90% of their staff is trained in this critical area.
The luncheon included brief speeches by sexual abuse survivors whose stories made clear that the MGDG membership chose wisely in voting to support this great organization that is the only accredited child advocacy center serving Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender Counties.
CCAC hosted approximately 200 people during the luncheon. ORCA ensured Ocean Ridge Plantation had a fantastic representation, by inviting a total of 16 people from various ORP organizations to attend the luncheon.
Written by John Santini
Ocean Ridge Charities Association
participation in The Carousel Center’s matching challenge brings success!
With the generous Annual Appeal donations from Ocean Ridge residents, Ocean Ridge Charities Association, Inc (ORCA). was able to contribute $3,240 to The Carousel Center (TCC) for education and prevention training (Darkness to Light Stewards of Children seminar) for adults who are Brunswick County secondary school employees. Their goal is to train 10% of the tri-county population (35,000) within 5 years. Their mission is to support healing, promote justice, and foster resilience is children victimized by physical or sexual abuse, and to improve the community through education, prevention, and advocacy. We thank you for your contributions.
But… the even better news is that by including our contribution in The Carousel Center’s, 2023 Heart of the Matter Challenge, ORCA’s $3,240 contribution was doubled and became $6,480, since they successfully met the $100,000 fundraising challenge. Support to The Carousel Center “gives a child who has experienced abuse the opportunity to resiliently heal themselves and their families, returning as close to a pre-abuse path of natural development as possible. Together, we are changing how our community responds to child abuse.”
TCC is the only accredited Child Advocacy Center in our region and serves Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties. We have locations in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties, and opening in Spring 2023 one in Burgaw, Pender County, to better serve children, their families, and our partners closer to home. To learn more about TCC, visit their website at carouselcenter.org