For the second consecutive year, No More Tears, a South Florida nonprofit dedicated to giving every domestic violence, human and sex trafficking victim a way out, will honor five women who are shaping our community and raising awareness for these unthinkable crimes.
The 2nd annual Heart in Hand Awards will take place Sunday, October 1, 2017 at noon at EAST, Miami (788 Brickell Plaza, Miami, FL 33131).
Honorees Christina Getty, Eva Hughes, Kathryn Mikesell, Meg Daly and Yolanda Berkowitz have been chosen for their leadership and contributions in the following categories: Activist, Artist, Philanthropist, Influencer and Pioneer.
“These five driven and powerful women have demonstrated their dedication to helping trafficking and domestic violence victims chart a new course absent from abuse,” said Somy Ali, founder of No More Tears. “This can happen to anyone. Our goal is to bring people together so we can diminish the detrimental effects these issues have on our community.”
The event will kick off with a silent auction and welcome cocktails, followed by the award ceremony and concluding with a gourmet lunch and live music. 100 percent of all donations collected at the event will fund No More Tears’ victims’ assistance programs.
“Miami ranks No. 3 for human and sex trafficking in the U.S., so it is incredibly moving that there are people here who want to make a difference in the lives of these victims and help keep No More Tears going,” Ali said. “We are excited to be honoring these women right in the heart of South Florida.”
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this October, No More Tears is a South Florida nonprofit organization founded by Ali, a former Bollywood actress, that aims to assist and empower victims of domestic violence, human and sex trafficking.
Ali does not take a salary working with No More Tears; everyone is a volunteer, and 100 percent of every donation received goes directly to the nonprofit’s victims’ assistance programs. Each day Ali responds to 10 to 15 abuse-related second-responder calls from law enforcement and FBI officials in South Florida.
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Somy Ali was a victim of abuse. She moved to Broward County when she was 12, and then at 15 she moved to India to pursue a career in Bollywood. While there, she starred in 10 films, her most famous being Anth (1993), and was engaged to actor Salman Khan. She came back to the U.S. at age 25 and received her degree in psychology from Nova Southeastern University, followed by a master’s degree in communications from the University of Miami. It was here that she decided to start No More Tears.
Tickets for the Heart in Hand Awards are $150 per person and will increase to $200 after August 31. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.heartinhandawards.org. To learn more about No More Tears and how you can help, visit www.nomoretearsusa.org or call (954) 324-7669.
