The Jefferson Award is given annually to honor Americans who perform outstanding public service in their community and inspire others to follow their example.  This year, WOMEN were honored to sponsor Alicia Kozakiewicz, who works with the National Association to Protect Children.

At age 13, Alicia Kozakiewicz was lured and abducted by a 38 year old man she met on the internet. She was assaulted and chained for four days in the basement of a townhouse in Virginia before being rescued by police.  Despite the resulting emotional damage, Alicia has chosen to educate children, parents, law enforcement officers, government officials, and other on the prevalence and dangers of internet predators.
Alicia, now 21, takes her Internet safety program, "The Alicia Project" to classrooms everywhere. She shares the events that led to her abduction with kids and teaches them Internet safety. Alicia also has spoken at a number of conferences and even testified before Congress in 2007. Along with her mom, Mary, she lobbied successfully for Virginia's "Alicia's Law" an initiative that empowers law enforcement officials to better track and apprehend Internet predators. Alicia also has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, been featured in People and Cosmopolitan magazine, participated in Internet safely films for the FBI and the A&E Biography Channel, and is the subject of an award-winning Internet safety documentary for PBS.

WOMEN members who attended this event on April 21, 2010 are: Patty O'Kelly, (Alicia Kozakiewicz), Monica Saporito, and Janice Kennedy.