SUTHON LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT

Deedee Suthon was in the spotlight at the Light Up the Night Gala at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum on Sept. 26.

Suthon was honored as being the driving force behind Safe Harbor, an agency serving women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Suthon began the Safe Harbor program in the 1990s and serves on the board. In 2008 Suthon was given the Angel Award by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana for her dedication to help survivors break the cycle of abuse. She donated the grant award of $20,000 to Safe Harbor.

Safe Harbor board of directors President Peggy Vallejo introduced presenter Lacey Toledano, St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce president/CEO. Vallejo noted that the chamber is one of the accredited chambers in the United States.

"Lacey has taken the chamber to new heights," she said.

Toledano spoke of Suthon's willingness, eagerness and enthusiasm to give back to the community. She said that Suthon not only addressed the need to serve abused women and children, but in the 1960s, created for the first time in New Orleans a rape crisis center.

"She had the courage to take the leap where no others had gone before."

Toledano said that when Suthon and her husband, the late Lucius Suthon, moved to the north shore in 1993, Deedee continued her spirit of volunteerism and served on several boards, including the Chamber of Commerce, Northlake Republican Women, Leadership St. Tammany and Safe Harbor.

In accepting the award, Suthon called attention to the mission of Safe Harbor.

"Domestic violence is a sanitized term for a horrible offense " it is an equal opportunity destroyer; a self-perpetuating crime that recognizes no geographical boundaries, no socio-economic parameters and no decency.

"Safe Harbor is not a pretty, comfortable service. We cannot show you what we do " you must accept our word that we are trying to break a terrible cycle."

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