PALM BEACH –
More than
200 guests
gathered to
meet and
hear Bill
O’Reilly
speak at the
It Happened
to Alexa
foundation
event on
March 25 at
the Mar-a-Lago
Club.
O’Reilly,
who
was
introduced
by Donald
Trump served
as keynote
speaker for
the third
annual
Justice is
Served
benefit and
entertained
the crowd
with his
political
banter, as
well as
expressing
his support
for the
great work
being done
by the It
Happened to
Alexa
foundation.
Guests
gathered for
a poolside
reception
before
heading to
the main
ballroom to
hear
O’Reilly
speak as
well as Fox
news
contributor
legal
analyst and
Alexa
advisory
board
member,
Wendy
Murphy, who
served as
evening
master of
ceremonies.
The evening
also
featured
silent and
live
auctions and
VIP ticket
holders had
the
opportunity
to meet
O’Reilly and
participate
in a book
signing and
special
reception
prior to the
event.
It Happened
to Alexa
founders,
Tom and
Stacey
Branchini,
thanked
guests for
their
support and
briefly
shared how
they started
the
organization
in 2003
after their
daughter
Alexa, was
assaulted
and raped as
a freshman
in college.
The Boca
Raton couple
started the
foundation
to help
support rape
survivors
through the
trauma of
the criminal
trial by
assisting
their
families
with
expenses
during the
litigation
process.
“We had a
great
turnout and
are thankful
for the
support of
everyone at
the event,”
said Tom
Branchini.
“The funds
raised
assist our
Foundation’s
goal of
ensuring
that sexual
predators
are taken
off the
streets.
When our
organization
is involved
in assisting
a family to
support a
victim, the
rate of
conviction
for those
cases is
more than 85
percent.
When the
foundation
is not
involved,
the
conviction
rate is at
about five
percent. We
want to be
able to be
involved in
many more
cases and
proceeds
from this
event help
make that
possible.”
A highlight
of the
evening was
live
auctioneer,
Dick
Robinson who
had guests
in a bidding
war for a
pair of 18kt
white gold
diamond and
south-sea
pearl drop
earrings
valued at
$14,000,
donated by
Eloquence of
North Palm
Beach.
Robinson
also
auctioned
cruise and
travel
packages,
other
jewelry and
more!
This year’s
event
Chairmen
were Patrick
Park and
Nathalie
Fernandez.
Donald and
Melania
Trump and
Walter Ross
served as
Honorary
Chairmen.
The third
annual event
was
dedicated to
the memory
of Cathleen
McFarlane-Ross,
2009 Event
Chairman.
Event
sponsors
included
Patrick Park
and Natalie
Fernandez,
William
O’Reilly
Foundation,
Raptor
Technologies,
Inc.,
American
Airlines,
Mary
Campbell,
Donald J.
Trump
Foundation,
Inc., The
Kazma
Family,
Thomas and
Cindy
Feltenstein,
McFarlane
Charitable
Foundation,
Mr. and Mrs.
Edward
Robinson,
Newsmax
Media, Inc.,
Eloquence
Fine
Jewelry,
Roberto Coin
-Saks 5th
Avenue, Palm
Beach,
Advanced
Jets,
Gulfstream
Media Group
and John and
Monika
Preston.
IHTA is the
only
foundation
of its kind
in the
United
States,
providing
direct
financial
assistance
to rape
victims’
families for
travel-related
expenses
during the
litigation
process.
After their
daughter’s
long and
traumatic
trial ended,
the
Branchinis
realized
that many
families in
similar
circumstances
would not
have the
finances to
support the
travel and
lodging
costs
incurred in
an
out-of-town
trial. They
didn’t want
a lack of
funds to
prevent any
rape victim
from
prosecuting
her (or his)
attacker.
For more
information
on the It
Happened to
Alexa
Foundation,
please visit
www.ithappenedtoalexa.org
or call
877-77ALEXA,
toll-free.