Kelli O'Hara & Brandon Victor Dixon to Host 22nd Annual SAY Gala

SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young will host its 22nd Annual Benefit Gala, on Monday, May 6, 2024 in New York City. The evening will begin at 6:00 PM at The Edison Ballroom. Kelli O’Hara and Brandon Victor Dixon will be hosting and performing. This year’s honorees include SAY Executive Director Noah Cornman, who will be inducted into the SAY: Hall of Fame, and FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME, who will be honored with the Budd Mayer Advocacy Award.

"At SAY's 22nd Annual Benefit Gala, we honor Noah Cornman for his unwavering dedication to SAY and young people who stutter. Noah's tireless efforts have transformed lives and expanded opportunities for hundreds of children and their families. Additionally, we celebrate Freestyle Love Supreme, recipients of the Budd Mayer Advocacy Award, for their impactful partnership with SAY, bringing the joy of beatboxing and freestyle skills to our amazing campers. Together, we continue to build a community of acceptance, friendship, and empowerment for young people who stutter."  Incoming SAY Executive Director Russell Krumnow

Noah Cornman, SAY Hall of Fame Inductee, shared, “SAY is love, SAY is magic, SAY is the good! To be in the presence of the kids and community of SAY on any day is among the highest possible honors and privileges one can hope for. I’m beyond humbled by this recognition and beyond  grateful for the good fortune to be  among the bright light that beams  from the hearts of the kids of SAY.” 

FLS’ Anthony Veneziale, Budd Mayer Advocacy Award recipient stated, “The Freestyle Love Supreme family is deeply honored by this recognition from SAY. We are in awe of this community and feel lucky that we get to be a small part of the journey for the inspiring youth that attends Camp SAY.  We have loved the opportunity to partner with and learn from Travis, Noah, and the entire team at SAY so that we can better serve the camp community every summer. We look forward to continuing our partnership and bringing meaningful experiences to SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young long into the future. Thank you for this lovely gesture, as the work truly lights us up!”  

Past recipients of honors from the organization include Wayne Brady, Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, BBDO, Thomas Kail, Joe Moglia, Kelli O’Hara, Jay Badame & Linda D’Alessandro, Marcia & Bill Withers, and George Springer.

This year's Gala Committee Chairs include Thomas Kail, The Moglia Family Foundation, Fred Ragucci & Maria Sarath Ragucci, and Jenny Steingart.

Proceeds from the Annual Benefit Gala will help SAY provide vital programming for kids and teens who stutter, including Camp SAY, Camp SAY Across the USA, Speech Therapy, Confident Voices, and the Washington, D.C.-based SAY: DC.

Noah Cornman 

(SAY: Hall of Fame Inductee) has been dedicated to SAY and young people who stutter for over two decades, including the last twelve years as Executive Director. Prior to officially joining the organization in 2012, he ardently supported and volunteered for SAY for more than a decade.  

Throughout those early years, he had the privilege of sitting front-row for the very first Our Time performance, being a Teaching Artist and Camp Counselor, serving on Benefit Committees and the Advisory Board, and generally spending as much time as he could engaged with the kids and community of SAY. Since joining full-time, he has helped the organization triple its annual budget, allowing for programmatic growth, including expansion to Washington, D.C., short form Camp SAY: Across the USA Programs in cities across the country and Canada, as well as the growth of Camp SAY from 10 to 14 days with enrollment doubling. He has helped shepherd game-changing partnerships and relationships with corporations, celebrities, sports figures, and more. The growth of SAY under his leadership has impacted many hundreds of kids and their families. 

FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME 

(Budd Mayer Advocacy Award) Conceived by Anthony Veneziale and created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale in 2004 before In the Heights and Hamilton, Freestyle Love Supreme is a blend of hip-hop, improvisational theater, music, and vocal styling of ten with special surprise guests. The MCs, musicians, and beatboxers take the audience on a completely improvised musical ride, all based on audience suggestions. The recipient of a special 2020 Tony Award, FLS has performed on stages from Cape Town to Melbourne to Edinburgh to NYC and practically everywhere in between. They are the subject of the Hulu documentary We Are Freestyle Love Supreme. Freestyle Love Supreme was produced off-Broadway and on Broadway twice by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jenny & Jon Steingart, and Jill Furman. Since 2021, Freestyle Love Supreme has proudly been partnering with SAY to bring beatboxing and freestyle skills to the amazing community of campers at Camp SAY.  @freestylelovesupreme

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