Abduction Survivor Elizabeth Smart to Speak Thursday in Birmingham

The young woman at the center of an infamous child abduction case — Elizabeth Smart — will tell her story Thursday in Birmingham to raise money for a nonprofit group that serves the needs of Oakland County's abused and neglected children.

Smart, who was 14 when she was abducted in 2002 from her Salt Lake City, Utah, bedroom, will speak during the Oakland County , held this year at the . The event will benefit CARE House's advocacy and child abuse prevention programs.

“Circle of Friends is more than just an annual benefit," Cathy Weissenborn, CARE House's interim executive director and Board of Trustees president, said in a press release. "It also brings a continued awareness to the needs of so many children in our community who cannot stand up for themselves.

“Elizabeth Smart survived a traumatic childhood experience and has gone on to lend her voice nationally," Weissenborn said. "We can draw from her strength as we move forward as an organization in our fight to give every child a voice.”

Smart, who was safely reunited with her parents nine months after being kidnapped, has since become an advocate for change related to child abduction and related recovery programs. Now a correspondent for ABC News, Smart has worked with the U.S. Justice Department to create a survivors guide, titled “You’re Not Alone: The Journal From Abduction to Empowerment."

Smart is also active in the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and has helped promote the National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act and other safety legislation to help prevent child abductions. A senior at Brigham Young University, Smart will earn her bachelor’s degree in music this spring.

During the luncheon Thursday, Smart will discuss her own story about overcoming adversity and how to encourage vigiliance when it comes to finding missing children.

As part of Thursday's presentation, the CARE House also will recognize Pat Rosen, the group's former executive director who left her position in October for a new nonprofit leadership job in Florida. During Rosen’s tenure at CARE House, the organization completed a move to a new 14,000-square-foot building in Pontiac.

If you go

• When: Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m., with presentations beginning shortly thereafter.
• Where: Townsend Hotel, 100 Townsend St, Birmingham, MI 48009
• Who: Smart will be the primary speaker. Master of ceremonies will be Cynthia Canty, a veteran Detroit broadcaster.
• Cost: Tickets cost $95 and include lunch. Luncheon tables and ticket packages are available for purchase. For detailed ticket information, contact CARE House at 248-332-7173 or visit carehouse.org.
• For more: The CARE House also will host a preview party and strolling supper to benefit the CARE House from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the home of Vicki and Tom Celani in Bloomfield Hills. Admission for the private preview party costs $150 per person.