Last night we attended a very special celebration for FAIR Girls, the 10th annual Pearls of Purpose Gala, celebrating 1,000 women and girls surviving human trafficking.

Held at Asia DC, guest were treated to a special presentation by Benjamin Skinner, author of A Crime So Monstrous and founder of Transparentem, a nonprofit intelligence unit that investigates global supply chains to spur the eradication of human and environmental abuses. He is pictured here (right) with USC professor Justin Weinberg and FAIR Girls founder and executive director Andrea Powell.

Andrea tells us the annual gala not only raises critical funds, but is a celebration of every survivor who's been assisted by the organization. We snapped host committee/board members Deb Conver, Heidi Narang, Cheryl Batan and Melanie Hayes.

Guests enjoyed a champagne reception followed by passed hors d’oeuvres and a program including a survivor-created theatrical performance Voices of Now that was originally presented at Arena Stage. Here, Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights’ Amal Mimish, Evelyn Nunez and Rhonda Cunningham Holmes.

The timing of this year’s gala coincides with the introduction of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2016, to expunge the records of survivors of sex trafficking. FAIR Girls seeks to provide adequate and meaningful assistance in key pieces of legislation like this.

Volunteer KSR Pet Care’s Karen Rosenberg with board members Alexandra N Senyi De Nagy-Unyom and Julianne Paunescu.

Shared Hope International’s Kara Simmerman, Christine Raino, Eliza Reock.