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24 ART FOR A CAUSE BY LACELLIESE KING. PHOTOGRAPHY WJNPhoto. T his year's record-breaking Art For Advocacy gala, benefitting Dallas Children's Advocacy Center and co-chaired by sisters Lindsay Allen Billingsley and Carly Allen-Martin, drew a crowd of 750 —the largest in the event's history. It was a glittering evening filled with Dallas socials, designers, collectors, and overall champions of the cause, who bid fast and bid often for the highly anticipated works of art on the auction block. Co-chair and artist Carly Allen-Martin donated a brilliantly colored abstract work to the silent auction, which included works contributed by fellow Dallas artists Tom Hoitsma, Brenda Bogart, and Melissa Ellis. Eighty-four works of art — including works by Hunt Slonem, Mads Christensen, and Ashley Longshore — were up for sale with feverish bidding. After a seated dinner, the chairs' remarks underscored the cause, to save Jane Doe and John Doe (DCAC aliases to protect child victims' identities). The sold-out crowd responded with great enthusiasm in the live auction, where more than a few friendly bidding wars ensued; One such tussle was over a work donated by artist Meredith Pardue and her representative gallery, Laura Rathe Fine Art. Addendum: As an eager law student in our nation's capital several years ago, I spent my final year of law school practicing in a program that provided pro bono legal counsel in criminal and family cases in federal court. Among the many sobering realities of the job was seeing the heartbreaking effects of child abuse that can haunt every aspect of a young person's life. But for abuse victims in Dallas County, the generosity of Dallas Children's Advocacy Center's Art For Advocacy supporters is helping to paint a much brighter picture for the future. ART + ADVOCACY: Christie and Brandt Wood, Christopher and Stacie Martin, Lucrecia Waggoner, Nancy Lamb, Angelique and Ray Waddell, Stephanie and John Roberts, Gowrie and Alex Sharma, Marisa and Frank Howard, Randall Goss, Kameron and Court Westcott, Maxine and Ben Trowbridge, Whitney and Ryan Turner, Traci and Caperton White, and Lindsay and Cameron Leggett. Lucrecia Waggoner Christie & Brandt Wood Lindsay Billingsley Carly Allen-Martin Maxine & Ben Trowbridge Brittney Stracener, Scott Everett Tracey & Justin Bailey Merritt & Taylor Russ Christopher & Stacie Martin Carron Batt, Christina Jasar Ellen & Trey Hatcher Catherine MacMahon, Angelique WAddell, Helen Kaporis