Joyful Heart in the News

Taking on Goliath is a dinner and silent auction benefiting The Joyful Heart Foundation that will take place on October 20, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at The Olmstead here in Louisville. The emcee for the evening is Wave 3’s Scott Reynolds. Entertainment for the night will be provided by live band; Danny Flanigan and The Rain Chorus.

Individual tickets for the event are $75.00 and $750.00 for a table of 10. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/takingongoliath or email takingongoliath@yahoo.com.

Did I mention that the event was started by local Ella Burnside who is in high school here in Louisville? Come and meet this amazing young woman and help support people whom are survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse through The Joyful Heart Foundation founded by Mariska Hartigay. 

Taking Goliath Synopsis (the story) and Joyful Heart Synopsis:

In 2008 my English teacher gave my class a paper to write: the assignment was to write about something in the world we wanted to change, and then do it. I wrote about ending sexual violence and domestic abuse. By the end of the fundraiser (in 2009), my friends/team and I raised over twelve thousand dollars for The Joyful Heart Foundation.

The Joyful Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by actress and activist Mariska Hargitay. "The mission of The Joyful Heart Foundation is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. Joyful Heart works to achieve this mission through healing programs for survivors, awareness campaigns that enlighten and engage the general public, and policy initiatives that are transforming society’s response to sexual and domestic violence." Most recently Joyful Heart has been spear-heading the movement across the country to end the rape kit backlog and have launched a website completely devoted to ending the rape kit backlog (www.endthebacklog.org) they have also announced their newest effort to engage men affected by sexual abuse, and work towards eliminating the stigma about male sexual assault.

Burnside’s Goal: To raise awareness about KY's backlog of sexual assault evidence, to raise $20,000 dollars for The Joyful Heart Foundation and to have 200 people attend our event (a dinner and silent auction) on October 20th. – So join her and support a truly amazing cause.