Charity Ball Raises $200,000 for Children’s Advocacy Center

The annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Charity Ball raised a record $200,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County.

The Children’s Advocacy Center, part of Mount Nittany Health and located in Bellefonte, serves children who have been victims of or witnesses to abuse or neglect.

The community-based, child-focused center’s mission is to provide for ‘the prevention, identification, intervention and treatment of child abuse,’ according to a Mount Nittany Health release. Services are provided at no cost to families in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Huntington and Blair counties.

Proceeds from the charity ball will directly benefit children who experience abuse so that they can receive specialized treatment and care.

‘Every time we serve a family or a child — every time that a child is heard — that matters. When we hear from families who are grateful that we’re here to help that makes us feel successful,’ center director Kristina Taylor-Porter said. ‘I am so proud of the roots that have been established, but going forward, the Children’s Advocacy Center will still rely heavily on the support of the community.’

The 69th Annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Charity Ball was held on Feb. 11 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, with more than 600 attendees enjoying a theme of ‘A Starlit Evening on the Serengeti.’

Corporate sponsors, individual donations, ticket sales, a raffle and an online auction contributed to the fundraising total.