13th Annual From Slavery to Freedom Gala

May 12, 2011 at Skirball Cultural Center

Recap: More than 325 guests filled the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and raised for CAST $253,000. This support went directly into our life-transforming programs and made an immediate difference in the lives of our clients—children, women, and men who are survivors of human trafficking. CAST Executive Director Kay Buck has just announced these funds have allowed CAST to eliminate its wait list for survivors in desperate need of CAST’s services.

Honorary Co-chairs Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher and their DNA Foundation, have taken a bold stand against child sex slavery and human trafficking, along with other notable guests, California State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, television journalist Lisa Ling, actors David Arquette, Cheryl Hines, and Sara Rue made the evening a media-worthy event. Longtime CAST supporters and Masters of Ceremonies Amy Elaine Wakeland and Eric Garcetti got the festive evening off to a great start by introducing CAST Founder Dr. Kathryn MacMahon, Event Chair Rachel Lee and the CAST Board of Directors. The room filled with emotion as all watched a moving video portrait by John Skalicky that articulated the profound stories of survivors who make up the CAST Survivor Advisory Caucus.

Our extraordinary honorees — playwright and survivor Kanthi Salgadu, CNN International and Christian Brothers Investment Group — inspired us with their stories and innovation, while pledging to be a part of the solution in ending modern-day slavery. In the words of honoree Kanthi Salgadu, “I speak out against slavery, not because I’m not afraid, but because I want to make sure that what happened to me does not happen to anyone else.”

Presented by OWN Network’s television journalist Lisa Ling, Mike McCarthy from CNN International accepted the Media Integrity Award for creating “The Freedom Project,” and in a poignant acceptance speech pledged to continuously expose the scourge of modern-day slavery in CNNI’s reporting here and around the world.

A special thank you to Board Member and Event Chair Rachel Lee, the Skirball staff, the production team of Twelve Events, Anna Sun and CAST staff and volunteers who helped create a night to remember.