CHAPEL HILL -- The Orange County Rape Crisis Center will hold its annual meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Carrboro Century Center on 100 N. Greensboro St.

This year's event will feature a panel discussion on sex trafficking and the presentation of several awards. The event is free and open to the public.

The panel discussion will include community experts in the field of sex trafficking: Dana Vaughn-Mgunda, human trafficking training coordinator with the Carolina Women's Center; Sabrina Garcia, Chapel Hill Police Department; Helen Grant, professor at Elon University; and Shana Judge, a graduate student at UNC. The moderator will be Rachel Braver of Legal Aid of North Carolina.

"The Orange County Rape Crisis Center has been working to educate the community on the issue of sex trafficking and its connection with sexual violence," said executive director Christina Riordan. "Individuals often think of sex trafficking happens some place else but we want to make individuals aware of its impact on our local community."

The center will also present four awards to community members who have contributed to the Rape Crisis Center's mission to stop sexual violence.

• Tray Batson will receive the Mary Ann Chapp Award for Individual Community Service for his work on an audio tape for the Rape Crisis Center's sexual abuse prevention puppet show.
• The Carolina Women's Center will receive the Mary Ann Chapp Award for Organizational Community Service for its work to raise awareness about sexual violence on the UNC campus.
• Shauna Hay, a former center board president, will receive the Margaret Henderson Award for Service and Self-Care for her work as board member, community education volunteer and support group coordinator.

This year the Rape Crisis Center will also be announcing its new Margaret Barrett award for Advocacy. Margaret Barrett, a long-time former director of the center, will be the first award recipient.

Founded in 1974, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center serves survivors of sexual violence and offers community education to spread awareness about the issue and provide information about prevention. Its programs include a 24-hour crisis intervention service (1-866-WE LISTEN), support groups, and extensive programs within the county's schools.