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Submiitted by Tharros Place
Jan. 24, 2025. – Due to the weather, Tharros Place is canceling its in-person fundraiser, Cocktails for Courage, originally scheduled for Friday, January 24, at Cohen’s Retreat. Those who already purchased tickets have the option of converting their ticket into a donation or requesting a full or partial donation. Those making donations will receive a gift acknowledgment letter for documentation.
The silent auction planned for the event will now be held online for bidders at tharrosplace.betterworld.org/auctions/cocktails-courage-2025 and include items for travel and home, art and fashion, experiences and food, and health and wellness. Interested participants can also purchase $20 raffle tickets for the chance to win diamond earrings at give-usa.keela.co/raffle-tickets-c4c. Donations may be made at tharrosplace.com/donate. The raffle and the auction will end at 8 p.m. on Sunday, January 26, with winners notified on Monday, January 27.
“We are disappointed to have to cancel our signature fundraiser, Cocktails for Courage, as it has become something we look forward to every year,” said Executive Director Julie Wade. “However, as we serve a vulnerable population, we cannot in good conscience put our supporters in harm’s way.”
Chatham Orthopaedic Partners was the title sponsor for this year’s Cocktails for Courage, with additional support from Advanced Door Systems, Amelia and John Harper, BankSouth, Bowman Law Office, Floor & Decor, International Paper, Meyer & Sayers LLP, Vanderbrink Paasch Builders, Sterling Seacrest Pritchard, Thomas and Hutton, Horne Law, Charles and Ann Koepke, The Nelson Group, Reddick Foundation, Rubnitz Thompson Ziblut LLC, William and Mackie McIntosh, and Patricia and Linden Youngquest.
For more information about donations, refunds, or auction and raffle items, please contact Gabriella Marvaldi, Development and Volunteer Manager for Tharros Place, at gabriella@tharrosplace.com.
In three short years, Tharros Place went from an idea and a goal to fill a gap in services to a robust and vibrant residential home providing trauma-informed, client-centered care to survivors of human trafficking. With Savannah’s high poverty rate, international port, booming tourism industry, and the crossroads of Highway 95 and I-16, the county ranks 4th in the state (out of 159 counties) for the number of reported cases of minor victims of trafficking. The issue is of particular concern for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, who created the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission to eliminate human trafficking as a threat to people in every part of Georgia.
Worldwide, human trafficking impacts more than 24.9 million people — adults and children — including in the United States. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a total of 1,912 people were referred to U.S. attorneys for human trafficking offenses in 2022, a 26 percent increase from a decade earlier. Of the 1,070 defendants charged, 91 percent were male, 58 percent were white, 20 percent were black, 18 percent were Hispanic, 95 percent were U.S. citizens, and 71 percent had no prior convictions.
ABOUT THARROS PLACE:
Human trafficking – the exploitation of another person for sex, labor, or services – is a global threat. In the United States, there are 1.5 million human trafficking victims, most of whom are children. Savannah is no exception, due to its high poverty rate, international port, booming tourism industry, and the crossroads of Highway 95 and I-16.
Tharros Place, a 501(c)(3) that takes its name from the Greek word for courage, was created to fill a gap in services. In 2023, Tharros Place opened a 12-bed residential home to address underlying trauma and cultivate a culture of courage for girls ages 12 to 17.
For more information or to donate, visit tharrosplace.com.