Media Room
2019-03-02 Safety Compass Intro
2019-03-02 EPIK Project promo
2019-03-01 Bowlathon Slideshow from 2018 photos
2015-03-31 FBICAAA Bowl-a-Thon Benefits Local Victims of Human Trafficking
While the metropolitan Portland area has emerged in recent years as a main hub for sex trafficking, many organizations and individuals have stepped up to fight against this form of modern slavery and support the victims, most young girls between the ages of eight and 18.
The FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICAAA) is one of those groups, whose annual Bowl-a-Thon assists survivors and educates citizens about trafficking’s tragic effects on society. At this year’s event, 196 bowlers competed for prizes and participated in a raffle to help raise roughly $7,000.
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In-part, the funds will go to Janus’ Athena House, a confidential, co-ed group home for up to seven youth between the ages of 14 to 21 that provides emergency and long-term stabilization, trauma informed counseling, and case management for commercially sexually exploited youth.
Alexander Villarreal, Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) / Victims Services Implementation Team (VSIT) Program Coordinator at Janus, spoke at the event about Athena House and the coordinated CSEC system of care in Multnomah County and shared how the donations will benefit so many.
“It was an honor to witness a community coming together responding to the needs of our survivors through a family fun event. We were truly grateful and deeply touched to see such a turn out. The CSEC caseworkers are encouraged to know the community is in support of their work with the survivors,” said Villarreal.
Funds raised also benefited SARC (Sexual Assault Resource Center), a program that serves survivors of sexual exploitation and violence and Just Yell Fire, a locally developed safety awareness curriculum teaching girls and young women how to defend themselves against sexual assault and abuse.
“These three community-based organizations are at the forefront of the great work being done in our communities to address human trafficking problems and the violence being perpetrated against our youth,” the FBICAAA Board of Directors wrote in a thank you letter to participants.
The FBICAAA is comprised of graduates of the FBI’s Citizens Academy program. Members support community service, education and outreach on crime prevention, law enforcement and the justice system. They are a nonprofit organization separate and apart from the FBI.
Click here to see more photos from the event, taken by Claude Laviano.
2015-02-25 Bowling with the Feds: FBI Bowl-a-thon Rolls into Beaverton
You might feel out of your element bowling with the feds, but the FBI Bowl-a-thon is open to all, raising money in Beaverton for a good cause.
Organized by the Oregon chapter of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (which, to be fair, isn't really the FBI), the Bowl-a-thon is a thrice-annual fundraiser for human trafficking survivors.
Tickets for the March 7 event are $30 apiece, with the money going to the Human Trafficking Committee of the nonprofit Citizens Academy Alumni Association, a group that "assists survivors of sexual exploitation and educates citizens about human trafficking's tragic effects on society."
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The funds will likely wind up with a local organization that aids survivors, but organizers have not publicly named a specific beneficiary for the Bowl-a-thon.
The event has moved from the late Hollywood Bowl to Sunset Lanes in Beaverton, where the organization will also raise money with a host of raffle items - from Columbia jackets to a "mystery box."
The real draw, however, is the casual round of bowling with a group of local citizens handpicked for an inside education about the FBI. They might be able to shoot a gun, but how good is their game on the lane?
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BOWL-A-THON
When: Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Where: Sunset Lanes (map it)
Tickets: $30, register online
2015-02-24 Interview on Metroscope on 105.1 The Buzz
An interview with Masayo Halpin, an FBI agent, and Maggie Jessup with the FBI Citizen's Academy Human Trafficking Committee, about the problem of human trafficking in the Portland Area and ways to help stop it.
2014-03-04 Interview on Lars Larson Show
FBICAAA's Katharyn Thompson talks with Lars
2014-02-27 Interview with John Erickson of K103
The Oregon FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (stop human trafficking committee) is hosting their 2nd Annual Bowl-a-thon with proceeds going to local organizations that provide shelter and support for trafficking survivors.
The trend for today’s donors is to directly support causes and issues that are important to them rather than a distant and faceless charity serving many causes. This event, focused on food, shelter, and education for (often very) young women who are coming out of horrific local circumstances is a chance for all of us to help out.