Elizabeth Smart, the victim of one of the most followed child abduction cases of our time, will deliver the keynote address at the Youth Eastside Services (YES) Invest in Youth annual breakfast on Tuesday, March 13, 2012.

Smart will share her story of overcoming the impact of nine months of imprisonment and the constant threat of being killed by her captors.

“We’re extremely honored to present Smart in her first major speech in the Northwest,” says Patti Skelton-McGougan, YES executive director. “The spirit with which she publicly acknowledges the private nightmare she suffered at 14 is admirable, and her message of not allowing one’s

past to dictate the future is inspirational.”

Since becoming an adult, Smart has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs and national legislation. She is the founding president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, whose mission is to prevent and stop predatory crimes.

Smart is also a news correspondent on issues involving high-profile missing person cases. She will finish her music studies at Brigham Young University in the spring of 2012.

Youth Eastside Services works with children and families coping with challenges such as emotional distress, substance abuse and violence.

For preliminary information about Invest in Youth, email Breakfast@YouthEastsideServices.org or call 425-747-4937.