Thursday Oct 18, 2018
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM PDT
October 18, 2018 from 11:30am-1pm
Emerald Downs 2300 Ron Crockett Dr, Auburn, WA 98001
Free event with a suggested donation of $100.
For more information or registration visit: https://mschelps.org/getinvolved/mschelpsluncheon/
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Join MSC and honorary co-chairs Senator Joe Fain and Representative Tina Orwall for the 5th Annual MSC Helps Luncheon. Learn more about the work MSC does in the community, network with other community-focused individuals, and hear from our keynote speaker how community support helped him change his life path to one of success. Lunch is free; however, there is a suggested donation of $100. This is a fundraising event to support the work of MSC to provide help, hope, and change in our community. Our keynote speaker; a veteran film star, best-selling author, renowned advocate for violence prevention, and the first Cuban-born football player to land a tryout with the Miami Dolphins, Victor Rivas Rivers has come a long way since being an abused, angry gang member. In fact, given his violent upbringing, few of those achievements were ever likely. If not for individuals in his community who were willing to take a stand on his behalf, Rivers doubts he would be alive today. In his beautifully crafted memoir, A Private Family Matter: A Memoir, and the upcoming sequel, A Public Family Matter: Journey of An Accidental Activist, Rivers shares his remarkable life story with the world. Now one of the most well-known domestic violence activists, Rivers uses his voice to advocate for the safety all women and children. So how did Rivers break the cycle of violence? At age 12, Rivers visited his local police department to report a lifetime of crime inflicted upon himself, his mother, siblings and pets. Though the officers were horrified by the abuse, they could do little to stop Rivers’ father. The torture perpetuated behind closed doors, they said, was “a private family matter.” Finally, at age 15, Rivers took then-unprecedented legal action against his father and went to go live with a series of foster families, who spurned his transformation from rage-filled gang member to senior class president. Many of his “angels,” as he calls them, were also educators. From his eighth grade teacher who literally fed him when his father instituted a starvation diet at home to his high school coaching staff who refused to let him quit the team and drop out of school, these adults gave Victor the confidence to ultimately earn a full football scholarship at Florida State University and a stint in the NFL. After being dubbed “The Longest of Long Shots” by the Miami sports media, Rivers pursued another long shot in Hollywood. In one more unlikely turn, Rivers has since attained a global following with roles in over two dozen movies, including The Mask of Zorro and The Hulk, as well as on multiple TV series, including LIFE, Law & Order LA, and Star Trek. In 2017, Rivers launched the fatherhood empowerment nonprofit called “The Victor Project,” designed to help fathers have a positive impact on their children and their communities. With this project, he seeks to prevent other children from experiencing abuse from their fathers like he did, and target what many times is the root cause of domestic violence. A masterful storyteller whose topics are as diverse as his background, he is deeply passionate about combating stereotypes and cultural prejudice. He shares his strategies for challenging these stereotypes with a wide range of audiences. As one of the few male voices speaking out against domestic violence, Rivers also seeks to raise awareness and activism of related forms of abuse, along with ways that individuals and communities can do more to end violence. A compelling, inspiring speaker whose hope, humor, and honesty shine through every presentation, Victor Rivas Rivers is “a big man with an even bigger heart and soul.”