The Center for Empowerment and Education (CEE) celebrated a remarkable milestone on Friday, April 11, hosting its Annual Dinner at the Amber Room Colonnade to mark 50 years of uninterrupted service to the community. Themed From Fifty to the Future, the event brought together more than 350 guests to honor the past, celebrate the present, and invest in the future.
The evening highlighted the outstanding contributions of this year’s award honorees:
- Honoring the Past: CEE Founding Members Alice Chapman, Betti Corso, and Bonnie Law
- Honoring the Present: Current CEE Staff
- Honoring the Future: The inspiring young women of Girls Inspiring Girls at Newtown High School
Guests were welcomed by Honorary Chairs Pamela Chapman and Carla (Corso) Pierce, whose leadership helped shape a meaningful evening of celebration and giving. The program also featured Dave Price, WNBC Weather Anchor, as the evening’s spirited auctioneer, rallying enthusiastic support for CEE’s mission.
Proceeds from the event support CEE’s no-cost crisis intervention and prevention programs and services, including ongoing education and awareness efforts to reduce and prevent interpersonal violence across the region.
“Interpersonal violence isn’t a thing of the past—it’s an epidemic that continues to affect individuals and families right here in our own community. Every day, more survivors find the courage to come forward, asking for safety, support, and to be believed. And the truth is, we are in the fight of our lives.
We’re fighting for the resources and staffing it takes to respond quickly, effectively, and inclusively. We’re fighting to ensure every survivor is met with compassion and care. This work doesn’t stop, because the need doesn’t stop.
And the future we’re building—a future that’s safe, survivor-centered, and free from violence—depends on the choices we make right now. It depends on each of us choosing not to look away, but to invest in services that are truly for everyone—because interpersonal violence doesn’t discriminate, and neither can our response.”
— Ashley Dunn, President & CEO, The Center for Empowerment and Education
To view event photos or make a contribution, visit thecenterct.org.