Vote for Child Advocacy People’s Choice Award Finalists

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) is gearing up for our annual gala July 30. The Heroes Ball, which will take place as a simulcast event from locations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, allows OICA to recognize the outstanding work being done by child advocates across Oklahoma.

Several awards have already been determined, including:

• Dr. Barbara Bonner, recipient of the Kate Barnard Lifetime Achievement Award for her work at the University of Oklahoma teaching how to recognize and prevent childhood trauma.

• Hunger Free Oklahoma will receive OICA’s “Organization of the Year” award for its efforts to improve access to healthier food for those who qualify for government assistance.

• Wanda Felty, an advocate for improving opportunities for Oklahomans with severe disabilities, will receive the “Jay Scott Brown Award” honoring an individual who has performed exemplary work for youth.

• The Honorable Sandy Garrett, former state superintendent of public instruction, will receive the Laura Boyd Public Servant Award while former state Rep. and Tulsa County Commissioner Fred Perry will be recognized with the Henry Bellmon Public Servant Award.

We also provide the opportunity for Oklahomans to recognize individuals and organizations leading in the field of child advocacy. The Anne Roberts People’s Choice Award takes nominations and then our board of directors narrows the list down to five or six finalists for each. You can cast a vote at https://oica.org/anne-roberts-peoples-choice-award-2022/ for your choice in each category.

Voting will close the afternoon of July 30, but Heroes Ball attendees will have one final chance to vote with a ballot provided to them when they check in at the event.

This year, those finalists in the Individual of the Year category are, in alphabetical order:

• Riley Risso Coker, Producing Director for the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival — https://www. oklahomashakes.com/about.

• Amber Cuyler, Program Manager for Great Plains Child Care Resource & Referral — https://www.oklahomachildcare.org/board--staff.

• Rachel Holt, the Director for the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs — https://oklahoma.gov/oja/about. html.

• Annette Wisk Jacobi, Director for the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth — https://oklahoma.gov/occy/contact-us/occy-staff.html.

• Maria Rosales-Lambert, the Director for Oklahoma Interviewing Services — https://okinterviewingservices.com/.

• Jennifer Swearingen, for her volunteer work with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma — https://www. regionalfoodbank.org/volunteer/virtual-volunteer/.

Finalists in the Organization of the Year category are:

• The Arc of Oklahoma — https://thearcok.org/.

• Fostering Connections — https://www.fosteringconnectionsok.org/.

• The Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum — http:// www.jasminemoran.com/.

• Pivot OK — https://www.pivotok.org/.

• The Potts Family Foundation — https://pottsfamilyfoundation.org/.

• Tulsa Lawyers for Children - https://www.tulsalawyersforchildren.org/.

You can find more information at https://oica.org about the Heroes Ball, our youth event “The Sidekicks Ball” which will take place at the same time to entertain Oklahomans ages 6-12 attending with adults going to the Heroes Ball, and the after party featuring live bands at both venues. You can also call our office at (405) 2365437.

The attire is your favorite superhero costume or accessories with business attire for the event, as we want to look like heroes when we honor these real-life heroes. We even have an option to purchase a virtual ticket to watch the event from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere with Internet access.

Thanks for helping us honor those doing magnificent work for the children of our state, and much appreciation to the many people out there who are improving the lives of children. Being involved and providing a positive influence is how we improve our society. It takes each of you to help make that difference.

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Dorman is chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and served as a 12-year member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Contact him at jdorman@oica.org.