Elizabeth Smart to visit Ammon for foundation fundraiser

AMMON – Elizabeth Smart will be the keynote speaker of a Sept. 3 Fall Ball fundraiser supporting the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to end sexual violence and support survivors across Idaho and beyond.

Smart, now Elizabeth Gilmour, was thrust into headlines in 2002 when news of her abduction and eventual rescue captured the attention of readers in Utah, Idaho and the nation.

“The abduction of Elizabeth Smart was one of the most followed child abduction cases in history,” states the promotional material from the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. “Elizabeth was kidnapped on June 5, 2002, and endured daily sexual assault and abuse for nine months. Elizabeth returned home on March 12, 2003, and went on to testify before her captors, which led to their convictions.”

RELATED | Elizabeth Smart answers 7 Questions with Emmy

In the years following the incident, Gilmour served a Latter-day Saint mission and is raising three children with her husband, Matthew Gilmour.

In 2011, she founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation with a mission to “drive social change in the fight against sexual violence,” according to the foundation.

“Our education programs adopt a thoughtful, trauma-informed approach and include the perspectives of survivors and victims,” the material states. “We envision a compassionate society where survivors are heard, individuals are empowered, and sexual violence is eliminated.”

The Fall Ball Fundraiser, set for 6 p.m. Sept. 3, at the Brickyard Event Center in Ammon, promises an “evening of impact, inspiration and advocacy in support of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.

Entry to the event includes dinner and desserts, an “inspiring program featuring Elizabeth Smart, special experiences throughout the evening, and opportunities to support survivor-centered programs.”

Find the price and other event details online here.