PALM
BEACH --
Supporters
of It
Happened
to Alexa
Foundation
gathered at
A.R.T.,
Worth
Avenue’s new fine
jewelry
and art
boutique,
to toast
the
upcoming
“Justice
is
Served”
dinner
benefit,
to be
held on
Friday,
March 26th
at
Mar-A-Lago.
Bill
O’Reilly
will be
the
guest
speaker
at the
event.
At A.R.T.,
friends
and
committee
members
joined
event
chairman
Judith
Murat
Grubman,
for a
reception
to honor
the
Foundation’s
chairmen,
Stacey
and Tom
Branchini,
and
board
member
Sharon
Ruggirello.
The
reception
also
showcased
the
white
gold
diamond
and opal
cuff
bracelet,
valued
at
$35,000,
which
A.R.T.
has
donated
to the
event’s
live
auction.
Reception guests
had the
opportunity
to see
the cuff
as
modeled
by A.R.T
representatives.
Ms.
Grubman
and
A.R.T.
owner
Abby
Patni,
greeted
the
guests,
who
included
Frances
Scaife,
Michele
and
Craig
Millard,
Anka
Palitz,
Linda
Salandra-Dweck,
Colleen
Bain,
Sharon
and
Alton
O’Neil,
and
Betsy
and
Wally
Turner.
As she
introduced
Tom
Branchini,
Ms.
Grubman
provided
an
overview
of the
Foundation
and the
March 26th
dinner
party,
which
will
include
a
separate
“Meet
and
Greet”
with Mr.
O’Reilly
prior to
the
evening’s
events,
which
will
also
include
music
and
dancing.
In
addition,
guests
will be
given
“Stimulus
Packages,”
special
gift
certificates
worth up
to
$7,000
in goods
and
services.
The
Justice
Is
Served
dinner
event is
dedicated
to the
memory
of
Cathleen
McFarlane-Ross,
who
chaired
last
year’s
event
for the
Foundation.
Her
husband,
Walter
Ross, is
the
honorary
chair of
the 2010
event.
Serving
as
national
honorary
chairman
are
Melania
and.
Donald
J.
Trump,
with
Patrick
Park and
Natalie
Fernandez
serving
as
honorary
committee
members.
Executive
committee
members
include
Eileen
Cornacchia,
Marie
Hope
Davis,
Renee
Morrison
and Ruby
Rinker.
A
longtime
supporter
of It
Happened
to Alexa
Foundation,
Mr.
O’Reilly
has used
his
show,
“The
O’Reilly
Factor”,
to
encourage
public
awareness
about
prosecuting
perpetrators
of
sexual
abuse.
Joining
Mr.
O’Reilly
at the
event
will be
Wendy
Murphy,
an
advisory
board
member
of the
Foundation,
author,
legal
news
analyst
and
professor
at New
England
Law.
She is
also a
frequent
contributor
to Fox
News,
CBS and
NBC.
“We are
thrilled
with the
support
Palm
Beachers
have
shown to
the
Foundation,”
noted
Mrs.
Grubman
at the
reception.
“Although
its
mission
is very
compelling,
the
dinner
benefit
at
Mar-A-Lago
will be
a very
enjoyable
evening,
with the
opportunity
to meet
Bill
O’Reilly
and
Wendy
Murphy
and a
myriad
selection
of
incredible
gifts
donated
by a
wide
variety
of
sponsors.
We have
been so
impressed
with the
generosity
that the
Foundation
inspires.”
It
Happened
to Alexa
Foundation
honors
the
courage
of the
Branchini’s
daughter
Alexa,
who
survived
a
traumatic
rape by
a
stranger
who
broke
into her
college
dormitory
during
the
second
week of
her
freshman
year.
The
mission
of the
Foundation
is to
help
support
rape
survivors
through
the
trauma
of the
criminal
trial,
in the
hopes
that
more
survivors
will go
through
with the
prosecution
in order
to put
sexual
predators
behind
bars.
Established
in 2003,
the
Foundation
assists
rape
victims’
families
with
travel
expenses
during
the
trial
process
and is
the only
organization
of its
kind in
the
United
States.
On
average,
when the
Foundation’s
support
is
present,
there is
an 82
percent
conviction
rate,
with the
national
average
for
conviction
in a
rape
trail at
six
percent.
To date,
the
Foundation
has
assisted
238
family
members
and 174
victims,
including
five
males,
125
females
and 44
children.
The
Foundation’s
results
include
10 life
sentences,
with an
average
sentence
of 12.5
years in
prison.
More
information on
tickets to
the
March
26th
event is
available
on-line
at
www.ithappenedtoalexa.org
or by
calling
1-877-77ALEXA
toll-free.