Noah Wyle and castmates of the award-winning medical drama “The Pitt” were on hand, as were actor Max Greenfield and elected officials, but the biggest cheers at the UCLA Health Rape Treatment Center’s annual fundraising brunch were for three sexual assault survivors who shared their stories of healing.
Among them was a young man who was sexually abused for years, beginning at age 11, by a church leader. With the help of counselors, a forensic interviewer, child advocates, detectives and a deputy district attorney at Stuart House, the Rape Treatment Center’s program for children who have experienced sexual abuse, the young man’s assailant was charged and sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison.
“Thank you for giving people like me a chance to breathe again, to feel safe again and to believe in a future again,” said the young man, now 20.
Established in 1974, the Rape Treatment Center provides free medical treatment, forensic services and counseling to survivors of sexual assault. Staffed by experts in these specialties, the center never closes, available to treat survivors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Supported by UCLA Health and philanthropic gifts, the Rape Treatment Center also holds an annual brunch to raise funds. The 2025 event, held Oct. 26 at the Skirball Cultural Center, generated $2 million. However, fundraising continues year-round, and donations are always welcome, administrators said.
One speaker at the brunch was a young woman who shared how Stuart House helped her recover from years of sexual abuse at the hands of her father. A third survivor found herself a victim of a serial rapist. When she disappeared during a night out, her friends traced her phone to a location in Beverly Hills, where police waited for her to emerge. The suspect was arrested on the spot, and the rape survivor was brought to the Rape Treatment Center, where she received medical and therapeutic care.
“No one expects to be raped, so there’s no real way to prepare for what comes after,” she said in a statement read by a member of the Rape Treatment Center’s junior support council. “Because of the support of the Rape Treatment Center … I will always be free – free of guilt, free of doubt and free of shame.”
Wyle, star of “The Pitt,” said he visited Stuart House while preparing for an episode about child sexual assault and was “amazed.”
“In a place where kids and families come in their darkest moments, there is an abundance of light,” he said. “There’s an undeniable warmth that starts in the lobby and stretches down the halls and gives a sense that no one who enters is ever going to be alone on their road to justice.”
Added costar Katherine LaNasa: “The Rape Treatment Center is compassion in action.”
The annual brunch also recognized former Rape Treatment Center director Beth Cranston, who spent 30 years with the organization before retiring in 2023. During her tenure, Stuart House more than quadrupled in square footage. Its staff grew from one prosecutor, one detective and a few therapists to seven prosecutors, eight detectives, two officers from the Department of Children and Family Services, three forensic interviewers and an entire floor of therapists.
Cranston also spearheaded sexual assault prevention training for workers at West Hollywood businesses that sell alcohol, which has led to a 50% reduction in alcohol-related sexual assaults originating in bars.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to dedicate my career to the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA Health and to victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse,” she said.
Current RTC director Jane Halladay Goldman, PhD, discussed the center’s recent accomplishments – including providing counseling for sexual assault victims on the UCLA campus and a newly revised prevention program for high school students – and future plans, such as expanding the school program and the bartender training program.
“Every day we are privileged to witness the strength and the chutzpah of the people we serve,” Dr. Goldman said, “survivors whose courage humbles and inspires us.”
The event concluded with Greenfield acting as auctioneer to solicit donations from the crowd. Guests raised paddles to offer contributions of $5,000 and more. They also bid on two exclusive experiences: a private suite for Sabrina Carpenter’s upcoming concert at Crypto.com Arena, which brought in $11,000; and the opportunity to watch a Lakers game from Magic Johnson’s suite at the arena, which fetched $30,000.
