By JESSE BERTEL
Across the Street

“An Evening of Destiny” is an annual benefit concert and community event supporting the healing and restoration of survivors of human trafficking in Arizona, and bringing awareness and prevention to local communities and families. It is hosted by Lisa Mitts Music in partnership with Destiny House Restoration (DHRC). One-hundred percent of ticket sale proceeds go directly to the mission of DHRC.

The 10th annual Evening of Destiny benefit concert and community awareness event is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Elks Theater, 117 E. Gurley St., Prescott. Mitts spoke with Across the Street staff ahead of the performance. The following interview was edited for length and clarity.

WHY DO YOU HOST A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THIS CAUSE EACH YEAR?

A lot of people who come to these concerts are unaware of the realities of trafficking in our backyard, but why I love to incorporate music is because music connects us and music connects the hearts.

My music is very uplifting and so people are not left after this event feeling depressed or fearful. They’re left inspired and encouraged and they have hope.

You don’t have to be caught up in human trafficking to feel sometimes, you know, hopeless or, especially with everything that’s going on in the world today, to feel depressed.

So, my purpose as a recording artist, and as a songwriter, is to bring that inspiration and that encouragement through my music and to have fun, too, at the same time. We also always have speakers and, in this case, this is going to be my best one to date in 10 years. We’ve got some phenomenal speakers we’re just going to share for 5, 10 minutes. We do have a survivor who’s also coming up to share her healing and what she’s now being able to give back and do.

WHAT MAKES YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS CAUSE?

I am going to be sharing this at the event, but I was never trafficked. In my early 20s, I had just been married. I was stalked and assaulted sexually, violently at knifepoint by a man who was married. I had no idea. I didn’t know who this person was. We found out later he had two kids.

You think, “Who would ever do trafficking?” Yet, Super Bowl Sunday is the highest day of sex trafficking in the country. I didn’t even know if I would make it alive that day. So, for many years, I never talked about it. I mean, I did talk about it to certain people because I needed a lot of healing, but it wasn’t until I started back in my music.

For more information and to buy tickets, call 928-777-1370, or visit www.prescottelkstheatre.org.

Jesse Bertel is a reporter/videographer for the Prescott News Network. Follow him on Twitter @ JesseBertel, email him at jbertel@prescottaz.com, or call 928-445-3333, ext. 2043.

PHOTO CAPTION:
Lisa Mitts is performing with her producer, Brandon Bee, at the beginning of “An Evening of Destiny. (Lisa Mitts/Courtesy)