What's Inside

    🤲🏻 Advocate Summit Recap

“It’s content that would be hard for me to find on my own” – discover how this year’s Advocate Summit empowered CASA volunteers, foster parents and others to better support kids.

    ⚖️ Marsy's Law & CASA

When a child victim has no one to stand beside them in court, who makes sure their rights - and their everyday needs - are truly protected? 

    🎶 Stand Up for Kids 2026: Viva Las Vegas!

Dean Martin, pull tabs, and a story you won’t forget – grab your tickets now!

    🛒 Help Stock the Oasis Toolkit

Oh, no! We’re almost out of air dry clay + can you help us add some sock poi to our therapist’s tool kit?

    📲 What else is happening at Canopy Center?

Take a peek at the social media posts that got the most attention across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn this month!

Advocate Summit Recap

“I love hearing the topics. It's content that would be hard for me to find on my own,” said Anna Wieser, a CASA volunteer and returning Advocate Summit attendee.

Anna was one of dozens of volunteers, foster parents, students, and community partners who gathered to strengthen their skills and deepen their impact for youth across Dane, Columbia, and Rock Counties. Participants heard from experts at Prevention and Response Columbia County (PARCC) and CAYA Clinic about preventing substance misuse, and from Canopy Center's Anti-Trafficking Initiative Lead, Brianna Bero, on how adults can help protect youth from sex trafficking.

The Advocate Summit was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Patricia J Ruegsegger Foundation, PIKE Technologies, Eggers Imprints, Beans N Cream Coffee and Jimmy John’s – partners who are committed to showing up for kids when it matters most.

“This work is hard to do, it's easier when we know that we have funding for it. It really does make an impact,” said Cheri Dvorak, CASA of Dane & Columbia Counties Program Director. "The more training our volunteers have, the better equipped they are to properly support the kids they serve.”

Marsy's Law & CASA
How CASA Advocates Could Serve Child Victims in Criminal Court

You're 12 years old, and someone has hurt you. The police arrested them, and they are "getting in trouble." Next week, a judge is going to hold something called a hearing. The judge will make decisions, and you might have to go – maybe even talk to the judge and other adults about what happened. How are you going to handle all of this? 

For many kids, this is a time when their parents or a close family member answer their questions, take them where they need to go, and offer reassurance. But for some kids, that support isn’t there. Maybe the person who hurt them is their parent. Maybe their parents aren’t around, and they’re living in a foster home. Who will show up for them?

Stand Up for Kids 2026: Viva Las Vegas!

Our biggest night of the year is back! Join us on Thursday, April 30 to sip, sway and try your luck as we transform the Goodman Community Center into a vintage Vegas lounge – to raise funds for our child abuse treatment and prevention programs. Doors open at 5:30p.m. Come early to enjoy the music and browse the silent auction, before the program kicks off at 7p.m. 

    🎟️ Tickets are $60 in advance and $75 at the door.
Don’t wait – last year’s event SOLD OUT! 

Event Highlights

    🎤 Live Music by Joe Scalissi

Joe Scalissi brings the charm and classics of Dean Martin to the stage – from “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” to “Everybody Loves Somebody.”

    🎰 Pull-Tabs for a Purpose

Try your luck by purchasing and redeeming Wisconsin Lottery pull-tabs!

    🍽️ Grub Grab

Back by popular demand! Purchase gift cards to your favorite restaurants (or discover a new one). Shout-out to the many Madison area restaurants who support our Grub Grab each year – ensuring 100% of the proceeds go directly toward safety, advocacy and healing!

    🛍️ Silent & Live Auction

Bid on incredible packages and experiences!

    ❤️ A Story of Impact 

This year, we’ll share a powerful testimonial from a young woman who entered foster care at age three and was supported by our CASA program. 

Purchase your tickets early, bring a friend and help us make this year’s Stand Up for Kids another sell-out success – for the kids who are counting on us! 

Help Stock the Oasis Toolkit

At Canopy Center, our Oasis program uses the power of play to help children heal from sexual abuse. And right now, we have a few critically needed items on our Amazon wish list that would make a real difference! At the top of that list is: air dry clay and sock poi. 

Air dry clay is something that many of our clients connect with – it’s a versatile tool that helps kids express themselves creatively and work through emotions in a tactile, nonverbal way. We’ve added air dry clay and some fun, glitter mix-ins to our Amazon wish list. 

We’re also hoping to add sock poi to one of our therapist’s toolkits. Sock poi are lightweight, soft, easy-to-use props that encourage movement, focus and sensory engagement. Our therapist Ali is also planning to use them to deliver EMDR with kids in a way that feels more fun and approachable. 

What is EMDR? EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is a type of therapy that helps people process and heal from traumatic memories by guiding them through gentle eye movements. 

Ali issued a challenge here – help us purchase two sets of sock poi and we’ll update you next month! 

What else is happening at Canopy Center?

None of this happens without you. 

Donate, volunteer or share this newsletter – awareness is the first step in prevention! 

And be sure to follow along on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for more regular updates. Here’s what got the most attention, since the last time we were in
your inbox. 

Canopy Center is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to Canopy Center are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Canopy Center tax identification number is: 51-0211908.