Volunteers, friends and supporters of the Court Appointed Special Advocates program of Coos County will host the Lights of Hope - Have a Heart for a Child candlelight ceremony at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, at the Coos Bay Boardwalk, in recognition of April as Child Abuse Awareness Month.

The ceremony will feature speakers, including Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, and former CASA beneficiaries. Coos County Circuit Court Judge Richard Barron will swear in five new CASA volunteers.

The event also will include a display of hearts dedicated to children and others, with a candlelight vigil in honor of vulnerable children everywhere.

The CASA of Coos County program is sponsored by Oregon Coast Community Action and supported by the Coos County Commission on Children and Families. The program provides advocates for vulnerable, abused or neglected children in the court or foster care system, through volunteers appointed by the court system to speak for the rights of children. CASA of Coos County celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. The organization can help only 40 percent of the children in need in this region and is seeking more volunteers, according to a press release.

For more information, or to become a CASA volunteer, those interested can call 396-1075.