Dallas CASA Honors Larry Dolan With Champion Award
Longtime volunteer advocate Larry Dolan received the 2026 Jan and Judge Barefoot Sanders Champion of Children Award at an October 15 event.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Dallas CASA presented Larry Dolan with the 2026 Jan and Judge Barefoot Sanders Champion of Children Award at an October 15 event. Dolan has served as a volunteer advocate for nearly three decades and has supported more than 160 children in foster care.
Why it matters
The award recognizes sustained volunteer service to children in the Dallas foster care system, which relies on trained advocates to represent children's interests in court. Dolan is Dallas CASA's longest-serving volunteer advocate.
Dolan has supported more than 160 children in foster care over nearly three decades as a volunteer advocate. Dallas CASA has covered 100% of judge requests for CASA volunteers for the last five or six years, though the extraction does not report total volunteer capacity or unmet need.
The players
Dallas CASA
Dallas CASA is a local nonprofit that trains and assigns court-appointed volunteer advocates to represent children involved in the child welfare system.
Larry Dolan
Larry Dolan is a Dallas CASA volunteer advocate who has supported more than 160 children in foster care and is the organization's longest-serving volunteer.
Kathleen LaValle
Kathleen LaValle is the chief executive officer of Dallas CASA, leading the organization's advocacy and volunteer programs.
The details
Dallas CASA CEO Kathleen LaValle recognized longtime staff members Ben Wilkins, Ron Craig, Ryan Griffin, and Sandra Whorton at the event. Jelani Freeman, an attorney and former foster youth, served as guest speaker, and the event was co-chaired by Lael and Peter Brodsky and Cynt and Kenneth Marshall.
Timeline
Over nearly three decades: Dolan serves as a Dallas CASA volunteer advocate.
Last five or six years: Dallas CASA covers 100% of judge requests for CASA volunteers.
October 15, 2026: The Champion of Children Award is presented at the Dallas CASA event.
Market Landscape
Dallas CASA operates within the national CASA network, which places trained volunteers with individual children in court-supervised foster care cases. Its recent practice of meeting every judge request for a volunteer reflects that network's model of one advocate per child.
Families and children in Dallas County's foster care system benefit when judges can reliably appoint a CASA volunteer to each case. Community members interested in serving as advocates can contact Dallas CASA about volunteer opportunities.
The takeaway
Sustained one-on-one mentorship from a single trusted adult can make a measurable difference for children navigating the foster care system. Readers who want to support that work can consider volunteering or donating to local CASA programs.
Further reading
Explore more philanthropy coverage to see how Dallas nonprofits and donors are supporting children and families.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Peoplenewspapers.
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