Robinson Aerospace Hangar, Fort Worth, TX, November 10
National Recording Artist Brooke Eden from The Voice to Perform at Event
Guardian Group is elevating the visibility of its counter sex trafficking efforts as it prepares to hold its fourth annual fundraiser in Fort Worth, Texas on November 10th. Since it began in 2010, the Bend-based nonprofit has been focused upon its two-fold mission: to train those in the travel industry to identify and report this crime and to combat sex trafficking by employing former elite military and special operations personnel who partner with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Guardian Group complements resource-constrained law enforcement and task forces, ensuring sex trafficking safe-havens are disrupted and eliminated. As sex trafficking has become the fastest growing crime in this country, Guardian Group has increased in prominence and its ability to attract high-profile national partners to support its work.
At the invitation of several supporters in Texas, Guardian Group was given the use of the Robinson Aerospace Hangar at the airport owned by billionaire magnate Ross Perot and will hold its fourth annual fundraiser there on Saturday, November 10. The organization has attracted the talents of national recording artist and The Voice Singer Brooke Eden who will perform several songs and other celebrities are expected to attend the event. The cocktail reception will begin at 6:30pm with drinks and heavy hors oeuvres, and will feature a live and silent auction, live music and a recap of the organization’s highlights from the past 12 months. Founder and CEO Jeff Keith, Chief Operating Officer and Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tiegs, Chief Engagement Officer Alex Dugan and other staff and board members will be in attendance. Tickets are available online at https://guardiangroup.ticketspice.com/texas-fundraiser for $50/person, and those who wish to support Guardian Group but cannot attend may also donate at the site.
Jeff Keith, founder of Guardian Group, comments, “Over the past year we have been blessed by innumerable alliances that have helped us attract greater support and expertise, allowing us to grow into the well-connected national organization we need to be. This fundraiser is an extension of the good will our work has engendered and allows others to participate in the solution through the generosity of their talents, time and treasure.”
As the problem of sex trafficking is pervasive, Guardian Group has been focused upon training those closest to it daily, those who work in the travel industry. Keith continues: “Our Guardian Seal Training is being offered at hotel chains, truck stops and restaurants to increase awareness about the problem so that staff working at these venues can identify when trafficking occurs, skillfully intervene and help us extricate victims.”
On the offensive side, Jeff Tiegs and his team have had thirty in-person training sessions with 2,500 total people trained. Of those 2,500 people, 150 were law enforcement and 250 were from the Department of Defense. The organization has handled seventy cases this year, to date. Some of the corporate sponsors that have made possible these opportunities for Guardian Group are Mediatrix, Global Risk Advisors and IBM. Numerous additional partners have generously supported the organization over the years.
