FAIR Girls Draws Washington Heavy Hitters To Sixth Annual 'Pearls Of Purpose' Gala!

NORTHWEST -- Victimizing more than 27 million people worldwide according to the U.S. Department of State, the numbers behind the global human trafficking epidemic are staggering. And over a hundred Washingtonians took a stand against such exploitation on Tuesday evening, during FAIR Girls’ sixth annual Pearls of Purpose gala.

White House Council on Women and Girls Executive Director Tina Tchen sporting a pair of JewelGirls earrings!
Formerly named FAIR Fund, the D.C.-based nonprofit creates opportunities for girls to achieve safe and brighter futures through prevention education, compassionate care, and survivor inclusive advocacy. FAIR Girls’ signature economic empowerment and therapeutic art program, dubbed ‘JewelGirls’, allows participants to design unique pieces of jewelry, which can then be sold, as a way of creating an economic pathway towards a life free of poverty and violence.

FAIR Girls mentor Theopistar Katusiime.
While teaching them practical skills in craftsmanship, the program simultaneously provides girls with a much-needed therapeutic outlet and financial management training.

Last night’s fundraiser, hosted inside the historic Carnegie Institution for Science, was therefore as much a celebration of all of the success FAIR Girls has achieved as it was an on-going reminder of the work that still needs to be done.

Perhaps as a testament to the severity of the problem, a variety of D.C. notables were in attendance, including Tina Tchen, First Lady Michelle Obama's Chief of Staff and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls, who delivered a special keynote address.

Also spotted in the crowd were Swiss Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Mr. Manuel Sager, and his wife, Mrs. Christine Sager, who was one of the evening’s hosts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton had even purchased a ticket for the occasion, as a way of showing his personal support for a problem he must grapple with daily as the head of the nation’s second-largest federal law enforcement agency.

Guests were treated to sumptuous buffet of fine cheeses, sliders, and, of course, cupcakes before enjoying a series of remarks delivered by American and Ugandan survivors Asia Graves and Theopistar Katusiime, respectively, and FAIR Girls co-founder Andrea Powell.

All the while, a silent auction featuring everything from signed sports memorabilia to designer fashion accessories tempted passers-by, with proceeds earmarked for the nonprofit’s programming initiatives.

Designer JewelGirls pieces.
Because after all, nothing is more pleasing than a party with a purpose, right?