SPARCC’s ‘A Nautical Night’ makes Bird Key sparkle

Sexual assault is not an easy topic to talk about. It’s sobering and it’s heartbreaking, and just as Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center President and CEO Jessica Hays said at the organization’s SPARCCle Gala, it’s extremely stigmatized.

“What we do is offer hope and restoration for a brighter tomorrow,” Hays told the crowd at “A Nautical Night” on April 8 at Bird Key Yacht Club.

She went on to explain that SPARCC views the people who use its services as survivors, not victims. These survivors are offered safety planning, crisis counseling and court advocacy, along with the chance to stay in the SPARCC emergency shelter — all free of charge.

These services are made possible largely by large-scale fundraisers such as SPARCCle Gala, which began with a lively cocktail hour. The 172 guests sipped, mingled and perused the silent auction table before they sat down for dinner at gold-adorned tables in the yacht club ballroom.

After dinner, event-goers learned that in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, SPARCC provided 7,252 shelter days to a total of 182 adults and 96 children and that 2,249 survivors of violence received services in their outreach offices. Guests also heard the first-person narrative of a young survivor who turned to SPARCC after her boyfriend’s control issues escalated to abuse. Today she is happily independent and preparing to take the Florida Bar Exam.

An exciting live auction followed, which was led by auctioneer Jenelle Taylor and featured items such as a six-night trip to England for two. Two guests each made $10,000 gifts during the “Stand up for a Survivor” donation opportunity, and several people purchased $500 tickets to a private party at the Longboat Key home of FedEx CFO Alan Graf.

The evening ended with dessert and dancing to the sounds of Eddie Cooper Band.