Berkshire County Kids' Place Offers Guests A Night In Emerald City

The Berkshire County Kids’ Place and Violence Prevention Center held its annual gala, A Night in Emerald City, on Friday, Oct. 18 at The Country Club of Pittsfield. As guests entered, they were directed to follow the “yellow brick road” to the red-lit “poppy fields” and silent auction, then on to “Oz,” the green-hued dining room. The Pittsfield, Mass.-based nonprofit provides a safe place for children and their family members who have been subjected to or witnessed violence to get the help they need — medical, mental, prosecutorial and any other — to thrive, all in one place. The small nonprofit survives with help from a generous community, and three longtime Kids’ Place supporters were honored at the event. Michael Supranowicz was presented with the Founders Award, RoAnn Vecchia-Wendling was recognized with the Thomas J. O’Brien Community Leader Award, and the Children’s Champion Award was given to William “Billy” Gale. The organization’s goal, in the words of awardee Vecchia-Wendling, is to turn children and families “from victims into survivors.” It’s something that L. Frank Baum’s Wizard understood perfectly when he said, “There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”