Step Up & Speak Out Benefit

The 2025 Step Up & Speak Out Benefit will be held at The Mandarin Oriental Boston on Thursday, October 16, 2025.  Please plan to join us as we celebrate the strength of survivors and honor individuals advocating for their healing and justice. Stay tuned for more details or e-mail events@suffolkcac.org with questions.

On Thursday, October 17, 2024 nearly 400 gathered at the Mandarin Oriental to raise awareness and critical funds for the CAC. Sponsors, partners, and friends joined forces to advocate on behalf of children and families who are victims of violence, exploitation, and abuse. Guests, along with over 99 generous sponsors committed prior to the event, donated a  total of more than $674,000!

Guests celebrated the strength of survivors and the commitment of award recipients Dan Cence and the Issues Management Group team as well as the the Family Justice Units of the Boston Police Department. 

Read more about the success of the event, check out a few of the photos from Victoria George Photography and Michael Feltis below, and head to our Facebook Album for more from the big night!

The 2023 Step Up & Speak Out Benefit was held at The Mandarin Oriental Boston on Thursday, October 12. It was a fun and inspiring evening with silent and live auctions, delicious food, cocktails, and more!

During the three-hour event, the nearly 400 people in attendance donated $190,600! We were thrilled to celebrate former CAC Executive Director Susan Goldfarb for her 30-year legacy of innovation, leadership, and dedicated service to the children and families of Suffolk County and Stuart Elfland of Metropolitan Cabinets & Countertops for his longtime generous support of the CAC and his unwavering commitment to charitable corporate citizenship.

We appreciate the hard work and commitment of our event co-chairs Anne Tamer Hajjar and Mike Fish, our host committee, and board, and are so grateful for the generous support of our 90+ sponsors and countless supporters who made this our most successful benefit yet!

Read more about the success of the event, check out a few of the photos from Iris MacKinnon Photography below, and head to our Facebook Album for more from the big night!

WOW! We are blown away by the generosity of the nearly 400 people who gathered at The Mandarin Oriental on October 27.  

The record-breaking crowd donated $142,325 in just 3 hours―$50,000 of which was matched thanks to Jim Quagliaroli―bringing the grand total for the event to an incredible $593,925!

It was an honor to celebrate Boston Police Department Superintendent Lanita D. Cullinane and Dellbrook|JKS President & CEO and CAC Trustee Mike Fish.

We are grateful to our honorees, event co-chairs Anne Tamer Hajjar and Jay Bisognano, our host committee, board, sponsors and supporters for their efforts in raising these critical funds to ensure we can continue to serve the children and families of Suffolk County.

Below is a selection of photos from the evening taken by Iris MacKinnon Photography. You can find the complete album here. 

What an evening!  We were moved by all who gathered and brought their voices to our 5th Step Up & Speak Out Benefit at the Mandarin Oriental on October 17, 2019. The energy & commitment in the room were palpable! We were thrilled to honor Bob Rivers, Chairman & CEO of Eastern Bank, and Jay Bisognano, Founder & Principal of Torrington Properties and Co-President of the CAC's Board of Trustees.

THANK YOU to our honorees, honorary co-chairs Mayor Marty Walsh and District Attorney Rachael Rollins, event co-chairs Anne Hajjar and Mike Fish, our host committee, sponsors, and all who worked tirelessly to help us raise nearly $320,000 for children & families in Suffolk County. See select photos from the evening below.

On October 17, 2018, friends and partners of the CAC joined together to raise critical support and awareness for the over 1,700 children who come to the Center each year to find hope and healing after abuse. We were thrilled to honor First Lady of the Commonwealth Lauren Baker and Robert Reynolds of Putnam Investments  for their outstanding contributions to the safety and well-being of the children in our community, and to offer special recognition of outgoing District Attorney Daniel F. Conley for his years of support and friendship to the CAC. Select photos from the evening are available below!

In the event's third year, on October 4, 2017, over 300 guests raised more than $250,000 in support of the children and families we work with. 2017’s honorees were Senator Linda Dorcena Forry & Bill Forry, Jonathan & Margot Davis, and Jack & Carol Harrington. Select photos from the evening are available in the gallery below.