Victims Benefit A Success For Montco BACA

The Montgomery County chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse held their Fifth-annual Victims Benefit on Saturday night, packing the ballroom at and raising over $1,600 for child abuse victims and local charities.

"We all feel that it was a big success," said Richard Bennett, president of the Montco BACA. "We had some good friends get together to raise money for a great cause. We also want to offer a big thank you to Mike from Third and Walnut for all he has done for us."

In addition to the , the group took time to recognize the efforts of several individuals for their extraordinary work in the community, including Jim Hay, who was presented with an autographed BACA plaque for his efforts with Camp Joy.

The total amount of donations , and the group hopes to build on that momentum as they head into their annual toy run in September.

All proceeds from Saturday night will go to local charities such as Mission Kids, Laurel House and the Victim Services Center in Norristown.

Victim Services Center honors BACA

Less than a week before the fundraiser, the Victim Services Center in Norristown honored BACA with their annual Leadership Award, citing their commitment to child-abuse prevention and their support for the victims.

Last year's winner, Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman, was on hand to present them with the award.

"I was very honored to help present the award to this group, for which I have so much admiration and respect," said Ferman. "It was really neat.  I felt like I was passing the torch."

Ferman said that BACA provides invaluable support to the community, and that their silent presence gives confidence to both victims and law enforcement personnel.

"They serve a wonderful role in the community," said Ferman. "The families of these children are so appreciative of their support.  The prosecutors and law enforcement professionals are so grateful to have their support.  All of the people who work in this system -- who sometimes work without much attention and support -- can walk in to do their jobs and find this incredible group of people cheering them on."

"They represent people who are willing to stand up and fight for what is right," Ferman continued. "They create a presence, and that presence says that they're there to help kids."