Want to help domestic violence victims and also bid on a vacation to Maui? Maybe you'd enjoy a gourmet French dinner for eight? How about lessons in making sushi?

The Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake is holding its annual fundraising gala Oct. 10, and this year some pretty remarkable prizes have been donated for auction by community sponsors, said Kristen Sorensen, the organization's development and finance coordinator.

The Legal Aid Society is a nonprofit organization that provides inexpensive legal help to low-income individuals.

It also assists victims of domestic violence — regardless of their income — in getting such things as protective orders and civil stalking injunctions.

One prize this year is a children's firehouse birthday party complete with a tour of a fire station, meeting with the crew, playing on a firetruck and engaging in a water fight with fire hoses.

"We got that one through a man who works with a fire department and we were doing a protective order for him. He wanted to contribute something to give back, and the paralegal working with him told him we had this gala coming up," Sorensen said. "He came up with this idea and I think that one will be just a riot."

Other prizes include flying lessons with G & B Flight Academy, a 5-night cruise through the Caribbean on a Celebrity Cruise Ship, a private gig with the rockabilly band the Radio Rhythm Makers and a 6-night stay at the Hyatt Cancun Caribe Resort. Smaller prizes are also available.

Stewart P. Ralphs, executive director for the society, said the organization's fundraising efforts have evolved over time to include an element of levity while addressing a sobering topic.

How serious is it?

One out of every eight women in Utah have experienced physical abuse by a spouse or intimate partner and one in three have experienced emotional abuse, according to the society.

Last year, the society saw 2,311 protective-order cases, 319 civil-stalking injunctions and 22 child protective orders — all at no cost to the individuals. It also handled 555 family law cases, and of those, 204 evolved into divorce and custody proceedings.

The society, which has a staff of 30, also runs a legal clinic at the Matheson Courthouse that helped 5,458 people last year who represented themselves.

In all, the society assisted about 9,000 people in the past year.

One thing Ralphs emphasizes is that a protective order — contrary to the dismissive view some people have that "it is just a piece of paper" — really can be an effective tool.

Hard-core abusers will not be deterred by a court order to stay away from someone or someplace. But many people will think twice when confronted by a legal document signed by a judge that means jail time if the rules are broken.

It's also useful for police if they are called to a messy dispute because it helps them quickly sort of what action they need to take.

Surveys done by the society in the past have shown that 86 percent of Legal Aid's clients reported no additional violence for 60 days after getting a protective order, and 88 percent reported the same finding one year after getting a protective order.

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com