10th Annual Knock-Out Abuse Against Women
Girls Night Out

Hosted by Sam Donaldson, the annual Knock-Out Abuse Against Women raised $480,000 for victims of domestic abuse at the Ritz-Carlton in early November. Proceeds from the live and silent auction went to benefit the House of Ruth in D.C., Bethany House in Falls Church, and Crossway Community in Kensington. House of Ruth, with nine D.C. locations, takes in women, children and families who are homeless because of domestic abuse. On a typical day, the House of Ruth typically serves over 500 people, half of whom are children.

As always, the attendees arrived dressed in their best to support the cause. Co-chairs Jill Robert and Cheryl Masri as well as event chair Norma Ramsey arrived in Versace. At the end of the evening, guests from Fight Night came for after-party dancing.

As in the previous years, the event featured a heart-wrenching video about domestic abuse. A 1998 Department of Justice report estimates that 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend per year to 4 million women who are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners per year.

1) Cythnia Steele Vance and Norma Ramsey wearing Versace 2) Rima Al-Sabah
and Barbara Harrison 3)Mariella Trager, Charlene Leftkowitz, and Deborah Boone Meissel 4) Capi Renoir and Martina Bradford 5)Jackie Duberstein, Kathleen Matthews and Catherine Bradley 6) Patti Cummings with Senator Hilary Clinton Laura Evans 7) Jill Robert wearing Versace Ghislaine Boreel and Toni Glickman 8) Cindy Howar and Ann Jordan 9) Cheryl Masri and Holidae Hayes

Photos by Kyle Samperton