Raise the Future's Champions for Children works to raise funds, support for Colorado youth in foster care
Wings Over the Rockies in Centennial was filled with support on Wednesday night for Colorado nonprofit Raise the Future.
An auctioneer roused the crowd, as attendees to raised bid cards across the room. It was all part of the organization's annual two-day summer fundraiser, Champions for Children.
"This committee has been amazing. We do all this work to get here. We have tonight and all day tomorrow with the golf tournament with all these prizes and fun. Kids need fun in their lives and so do adults," said Ann Ayers, CEO of Raise the Future. "Most importantly, these kids need our help. They need families."
Currently, 424,000 kids in foster care need homes nationwide and 122,000 need them urgently. For 40 years, Raise the Future has worked tirelessly to help kids, one by one, find permanent homes.
"These are kids who don't know that they're worth those connections. So, we teach them that they are. We connect them and we surround families and caregivers with support and those lives change," Ayers told CBS News Colorado's Mekialaya White, who emceed the fundraiser.
One caring adult changes the entire trajectory of a child's life and reinforces their self-worth.
"They don't get that a lot. People don't tell them, 'you're worth connection. You're worth love. You're worth permanency and worth my investment.'" Ayers said. "The reason why I do this job... I get those little, tiny moments with these kids where we are saying, you are so worth it."
Ayers encourages anyone to look at volunteering, donating, or even getting involved in the life of a child if you've been considering it.
"Maybe you're a parent or looking to be an adoptive parent. We'd love for you to do that," Ayers said.
You can also meet the children who are currently waiting for family permanency featured on CBS News Colorado's weekly Wednesdays Child stories.
