Dallas CASA to Honor Cherish the Children Awardees
Dallas CASA will host the 2023 Cherish the Children luncheon May 5 at The Statler.
Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) recruits, trains, and supervises community members to serve as volunteer advocates for children living in the protective care of the state.
The luncheon will honor Sally Hoglund and Kristy Hoglund Robinson with the 2023 Caroline Rose Hunt Cherish the Children Award. The mother-daughter pair are part of The Hoglund Foundation, a longtime supporter of Dallas CASA.
“The Hoglund family has been with us every step of the way, helping Dallas CASA reach our goal of serving every child in need and encouraging us to make a real difference in the lives of children and young adults who benefit from our advocacy,” said Kathleen M. LaValle, president and CEO of Dallas CASA. “Sally and Kristy bring energy and focused vision to all their endeavors, and Dallas CASA is grateful to have benefited from their dedication and generosity.”
Since its creation in 1989 by Sally and Forrest Hoglund, The Hoglund Foundation has awarded more than $62 million in grants to more than 650 agencies focused on education and family support.
The Hoglund family is known for their hands-on family engagement at nonprofits they support financially. Kristy Hoglund Robinson became a sworn Dallas CASA volunteer in 2015, working a complicated and complex case involving three children who remained in foster care until 2021. Robinson also serves as a Dallas CASA board member.
“Kristy never once lost sight of what mattered for these children,” her Dallas CASA supervisor Larry Matthews said.
Robinson and her two sisters learned from their parents, who she calls “the perfect role models for giving back.”
“Working with these kids was both heartbreaking and fulfilling, and I am forever changed by their resilience, strength, and determination,” she said.
The luncheon will feature speaker Cortney Jones, founder of Change1, an Austin-based nonprofit supporting youth aging out of foster care. Jones, who was served by Dallas CASA as a teenager, faced aging out after 25 placements in foster care as well as abuse and trauma. She has worked at Child Protective Services, lending her voice to create change, and is a parent of two children adopted from foster care.
“We have a choice in how we react to adversity. I’ve chosen to give back and make the system better for children, youth, and families who encounter the system,” she said. “What I hear most from kids in care is that they don’t feel heard. My dream is that they’re not only heard but also respected, loved and given a fair chance at success.”
Lynn Fisher, director of corporate giving for The Rosewood Corporation, will be the honorary chair of the 2023 Cherish the Children luncheon. Fisher’s roles also include vice president of the Rosewood Foundation, director of philanthropy for the Caroline Rose Hunt family, and director of the Moozie Foundation, a family foundation created by Mrs. Hunt for her grandchildren.
Luncheon co-chairs are Veree Brown, a Dallas CASA board member, and Kim Meth, a Dallas CASA volunteer. Both are longtime members of Dallas CASA Children’s Council.
For more information about the event, visit Dallas CASA’s website.
