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Press Releases

February 29, 2012

Naperville Exchange Club awards $5,880 grant to
the Will County Children's Advocacy Center

JOLIET – The Naperville Exchange Club has awarded the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center a $5,880 grant to assist in the fight against child sexual abuse.

Sean Kelley, a representative of the Naperville Exchange Club and a member of the organization’s Allocation Committee, recently presented the grant to Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow at the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center.

The grant will enable the center’s professionally trained and compassionate staff to continue conducting forensic interviews of children who are the victims of sexual abuse. The children’s statements, which are recorded in a non-suggestive, non-threatening environment, have been used in the successful prosecution of hundreds of sexual predators over the past 17 years.

State’s Attorney Glasgow, who established the Children’s Advocacy Center in 1995, thanked Kelley and the Naperville Exchange Club for a generous contribution that recognizes the important work the staff performs on behalf of vulnerable children. The center is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization that relies solely on grants, local funding, foundations and fundraisers to operate.

“The Naperville Exchange Club’s continued support for the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is greatly appreciated and enables us to accomplish our critical mission of protecting children,” Glasgow said. “Statements recorded at the center have helped us put hundreds of predators behind bars where they belong. In addition, we have been able to direct abused children and their families toward important social services so the healing process can begin.”

The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is a member of United Way of Will County. For more information, contact the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center at (815) 774-4565.

January 11, 2012

Will County Children's Advocacy Center seeking sponsors
for annual Men Who Cook culinary competition

JOLIET – The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is seeking sponsors at all levels for what is expected to be the biggest and the best Men Who Cook culinary competition.

Men Who Cook will be held from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, March 24 at the Pipefitters Local #597 Training Center at 10850 187th Street in Mokena. The wildly popular cooking competition moved to the Pipefitter’s Hall last year to accommodate the large number of guests and amateur cooks who attend annually.

“Men Who Cook is truly the most exciting local fundraiser with cooks coming from throughout Will County to give hungry guests a taste of their favorite home-cooked dishes,” said State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who chairs the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center’s Board. “This marks our fourth year, and we’re expecting the biggest crowds and the toughest competition yet.”

Men Who Cook gives local guys a chance to don a chef’s hat and serve up their favorite home recipes for public tasting. It is an affordable, fun and casual competition that draws hundreds of guests and amateur cooks to benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center. The center’s trained staff has been working to protect abused children for the past 17 years.

Men Who Cook provides excellent sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organizations. Sponsorships range from $250 to $3,000 and offer escalating levels of recognition for your business or organization, both in advance promotional materials as well as during the event.

Proceeds benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, which was established by State’s Attorney Glasgow in 1995 to improve the way child abuse cases are investigated. The center’s staff performs child-sensitive interviews when there are allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse. These interviews are conducted by trained and caring professionals in a non-suggestive, child-friendly environment. The children’s recorded statements have been used in the successful prosecution of hundreds of child predators.

The state’s attorney founded the Children’s Advocacy Center as a 501-c-3 non-profit organization so it would not impact Will County taxpayers. As a result, the center has relied on grants, foundations and fundraisers like “Men Who Cook” to fulfill its important mission.

Be sure to keep March 24 open for Men Who Cook. The cost to taste bite-sized samples of fine cuisine from local chefs is $35 per person; $60 per couple.

Guests this year will receive the Red Carpet treatment when they are greeted by WJOL’s Lynne, Mary and Natalie, who will serve as the evening’s hostesses. All cooks will be interviewed for local cable television.

For details on how to sponsor this exciting event, call the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center at (815) 774-4565. Or you can visit the center on the Web at willcountychildrensadvocacy.org, menwhocook.info or on Facebook at facebook.com/menwhocook.

 

November 3, 2011

The Will County Children's Advocacy Center extends a big thank you to Will County Take Back the Night for their recent donation!

October 26, 2011

Will County Children's Advocacy Center Holds Successful Bake Sale
at Joliet Exchange Club's Spaghetti Lunch & Dinner

The Will County Children's Advocacy Center held a successful bake sale at the Joliet Exchange Club's 2011 Spaghetti Lunch & Dinner. All proceeds from the event went to support the Children's Advocacy Center.

 

August 26, 2011

Lewis University students volunteer for "Annual Day of Caring"

A special thank you to the students from Lewis University – Kristen Yarka, Shar Brea Scott, Kendra English and Paula Herrera – for volunteering their time with the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center! As part of Lewis University’s "Annual Day of Caring," the students helped the Children’s Advocacy Center by sanitizing and deep cleaning the toys used in our waiting room. The students also received a tour of the facility and learned about the services that the Children’s Advocacy Center provides, such as performing child-sensitive interviews when there are allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse.

 

May 24, 2011 

Will County Children's Advocacy Center receives $5,000 grant from the City of Naperville to fund forensic interviews  

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the City of Naperville to assist in the fight against child sexual abuse.

The City of Naperville selected the Children’s Advocacy Center to receive its Forensic Interviewing for Abused Children Social Services grant.  The grant will enable the center’s professionally trained staff to continue conducting forensic interviews of children who are the victims of sexual abuse.

The children’s statements, which are recorded in a non-suggestive, non-threatening environment, have been used in the successful prosecution of hundreds of sexual predators over the past decade.

State’s Attorney Glasgow, who established the Children’s Advocacy Center in 1995, thanked the city for recognizing the important work the center’s staff performs on behalf of vulnerable children. The center is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization that relies solely on grants, local funding, foundations and fundraisers to operate.

“I want to thank the entire Naperville City Council and Police Chief Dial for their support of the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center and its critical mission,” Glasgow said. “The Children’s Advocacy Center provides services that are critical to the investigation and prosecution of these extremely sensitive criminal cases. Financial support from the communities we serve is essential if we are to continue providing these services.”

 The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is a member of the United Way of Will County. For more information, contact The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center at (815) 774-4565, or visit the Web site at www.willcountychildrensadvocacy.org.

 

July 14, 2010

 Bolingbrook man gets 76 years for sexually assaulting little girl

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Bolingbrook man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old family member in 2007 was sentenced to 76 years in prison today (Wednesday, July 14, 2010).

Coy Russell, 40, was convicted in December of three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class X Felony. Circuit Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes sentenced Russell. He must serve 85 percent of that sentence before he will be eligible for parole.

Russell sexually assaulted the girl on three occasions between May 1, 2007 and Aug. 23, 2007. However, testimony by the victim at trial revealed she had been assaulted on even more occasions. The abuse occurred in an upstairs bedroom while other children were in or around the house.

 “Coy Russell is a brazen degenerate who will spend the rest of his life in prison where he can never harm another innocent child,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “Although the damage from these vile assaults can never be undone, this sentence puts every child predator on notice that justice in Will County is relentless and unforgiving.”

Assistant State’s Attorneys Matt Guzman and Christine Vukmir prosecuted the case. The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, which Glasgow established in 1995 to investigate child sexual abuse cases, interviewed the victim and recorded her statement, which also was played at the trial.