Healing & Hope is unique among Washington events. Families members of people serving juvenile life without parole, victims’ families, and people given extreme sentences as children who are now free join together with policymakers, our advocacy partners from across the country, and those in the legal community here in DC to celebrate the progress we have made together toward ending the barbaric practice of sentencing children to die in prison. This year we will be honoring former NFL player Anquan Boldin, music manager Ty Stiklorius, and advocate Valencia Warren Gibbs. The 2018 Healing and Hope celebration will take place on November 13, 2018 at Jones Day in Washington, DC. See below for ticketing, honoree and sponsorship information.
About the 2018 Honorees
Anquan Boldin
Co-Founder, Players Coalition
Anquan Boldin is a Co-Founder of the Players Coalition and a recently retired veteran of the National Football League. Boldin was the 2003 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, was selected for three Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XLVII with the Baltimore Ravens. He received the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2015 for his community service work. He is the founder of The Anquan Boldin Foundation, also known as Q81, which is dedicated to expanding the educational and life opportunities of underprivileged children. His recent retirement from the NFL came from a decision to focus efforts on humanitarian work and social and racial equality. During his career and in his retirement, Anquan has been an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform. As Co-Founder of the Players Coalition, he is a leader among athletes, using his considerable platform advocating for criminal justice reform; including juvenile justice, fair sentencing of children and eliminating life without parole sentencing for youth.
Ty Stiklorius
Founder, Friends At Work
Ty Stiklorius is the Founder and CEO of Friends At Work, an entertainment and social-impact company that partners with leading creators, influencers and brands to elevate important voices and help their vision thrive. Founded in 2015, LA-based Friends At Work supports the careers of artists including John Legend, Alanis Morissette, Lindsey Stirling, XAmbassadors, and Fletcher among others. Ty’s work with John Legend began in 2006 with JL Ventures, where she created and developed artist-focused strategies for content innovation and social impact. Ty is a principal in John Legend’s production company Get Lifted Film Co., which has served as Executive Producer on the Oscar-winning film La La Land and WGN’s hit series Underground. She was just recently an Executive Producer of the Emmy-winning special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC. Ty and Legend also started the #FREEAMERICA campaign to influence the national conversation regarding mass incarceration and prosecutor integrity. They have spoken out against life without parole for children and advocated for an end to this practice. In 2017, Fast Company included Ty on their Most Creative People list and Billboard named her as one of the most powerful women in music. Ty earned an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA from The University of Pennsylvania. She serves on various private company and non-profit boards.
Valencia Warren-Gibbs
Advocate
Valencia Warren-Gibbs lost her brother to violence committed by youth. Through this tragedy, Valencia learned first-hand the problems with our nation’s juvenile justice system. Believing that the man responsible for her brother’s death deserved a second chance after incarceration, she advocated for his release. Now free, he maintains a relationship with Valencia, and she has offered him support as he’s readjusted to life in Michigan. This work is made all the more significant by the fact that Michigan has sentenced more juveniles to life without parole than all but a handful of states and stands along in continuing to seek juvenile-life-without-parole in a supermajority of resentencing cases. Her personal demonstration of strength, perseverance, and empathy throughout her brother’s case is truly an inspiration to other juvenile justice advocates. She currently works at Ford and hopes to create a collection of prisoner writings and art for publication and work with companies in the area to provide employment opportunities for returning citizens.
Healing & Hope 2017
On November 7, 2017 we held our annual Healing & Hope celebration in Washington, DC. The event featured an awards ceremony honoring champions of our cause, advocates and supporters, while benefiting the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth.
Throughout the evening we had the opportunity to celebrate our successes and re-energize ourselves for the work still ahead in ending life without parole sentences for children.
With dozens of ICAN members in the room, we challenged our guests to raise an additional $25,000 to facilitate our hiring another ICAN member to our team in 2018. We are thrilled to report that the crowd met our challenge! We are grateful for the support and look forward to deploying these additional funds next year.
Healing & Hope is our opportunity to recognize the hard work and commitment that takes place year round. We could not do this work without you and your support.
We can’t wait to see you at this year’s Healing & Hope!
