LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) – A Louisville organization working towards ending child abuse received a donation from another Louisville organization on April 18.
Kosair Charities handed a big check to ECHO, Exploited Children's Help Organization, to help them with their goal of ending or reducing the impact of child abuse.
Over 22,000 children in the state of Kentucky were abused in 2017 according to organizers at ECHO but with a new donation on Thursday morning in Louisville, they hope to bring that number closer to their goal of zero.
A room full of people gathered to celebrate a donation of $35,000 from the Kosair Charities to ECHO.
A check that will help an organization created to help the community.
"In 1983, a tragic and traumatic incident took place when a 12-year-old girl went riding her bike by Bashford Manor Mall and never returned. Her name was Ann Gottlib," Sonja Grey, with ECHO, said.
Gottlib’s disappearance sent ripples of shock through the community. In 2015, Gotlib's case was still unsolved and ECHO was created to help protect children.
"We can’t hear Ann Gottlib's voice anymore, but we in ECHO and Kosair give Ann Gottlib a voice," Thomas Wine, Commonwealth attorney, said.
ECHO will use the donation to continue their efforts to teach children and adults how to recognize, react, and report child abuse.
"It empowers us to keep the effort going that was created by so many that walked that path in 1983,” Grey said. “With her spirit still being alive within our organization, we wanna make sure we are doing our due diligence to educate our children and our adults."
For more information on how you can help ECHO and their goal to end child abuse, click here.
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