Mayville — Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Chautauqua County recently announced its inaugural CASA’s for CASA playhouse fundraiser. CASA of Chautauqua County has partnered with Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate to raise funds to provide children with a safe and permanent home.

On July 4, CASA will raffle a child’s Victorian Inn playhouse, a stunning cedar structure equipped with beautiful window boxes, vaulted ceilings, an outside seating area and a lovely front porch. The playhouse includes all the amenities of a kitchen including a stove top, sink, telephone and play food.

“The CASA playhouse raffle has been a successful fundraiser for CASA programs all over the country. We are hoping that CASA’s for CASA will become a beloved tradition for our communities right here in Chautauqua County,” said Kathy Park, executive director of CASA of Chautauqua County. “It has been a dream of ours for many years, to get this fundraiser off the ground. We are very fortunate to have local businesses that are happy to partner with us to support our cause.”

“We are so excited to be a part of the inaugural CASA’s for CASA playhouse raffle. Our company takes pride in finding the right home for families and we believe every child has the fundamental right to live in a permanent and loving home,” says Stephen Holt, real estate broker of Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate. “I couldn’t think of a better way to create awareness for CASA while supporting the vulnerable children they serve.”

The playhouse is on display in the Covenant Manor windows located on 23 W. 3rd Street in Jamestown. Tickets are $10 and available at Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate, Dave Snow State Farm, select Community Bank locations, Crown Street Roasting Company, Cabana Sam’s Beach Bar & Grill and CASA of Chautauqua County. Proceeds go towards crucial funding of the CASA program.

CASA of Chautauqua County provides a caring adult to advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system. Currently the program is reaching half of the children that would benefit from a CASA Volunteer. The specially trained volunteers help guide these children through the overburdened legal and child welfare systems, ensuring they don’t get overlooked, receive the services they need and ultimately, find placement in a safe and loving home. The CASA’s for CASA fundraiser will help offset the costs associated with recruiting, training and supporting the CASA Volunteers.

Sponsors for the playhouse raffle are Howard Hanna Holt Real Estate and Dave Snow State Farm.

The raffle will be held on July 4. Winner will be notified by phone call. To become a sponsor, call Kelly Fiorella, fund development coordinator, at 753-4132 or email kfiorellacasa@gmail.com. If you are unable to purchase a ticket but would like to support the mission of CASA, a tax-deductible donation can me made online at Chautauquacasa.org or by sending a check to CASA of Chautauqua Co., Inc. at 2 Academy St., Suite 5, Mayville, NY 14757.

About CASA of Chautauqua

The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Chautauqua County is to provide an independent voice in court, advocating for the best interest of abused and neglected children in the pursuit of finding safe and permanent homes. CASA of Chautauqua County, Inc. relies on highly trained volunteers who are appointed by the Chautauqua County Family Court Judge to advocate for children in court. These volunteers work with relevant agencies and parties in order to advocate for the best interest of the child. With the information provided by the CASA volunteer, family court judges are better able to make informed decisions as to what is best for the child, choosing options such as returning to their parents, foster care or adoption.