Broadcast journalists Barbara Walters and and Josh Elliott will be on hand today as The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) hosts its Sixth Annual “Freeing Voices, Changing Lives” Benefit Gala.
Renowned actor Sam Waterston (Law & Order) will be the master of ceremonies, while Walters and Elliot will present awards.
Honorees will include World Series baseball legend Tommy John, and 9/11 Commission Chair and former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean, for
rising above their stutter and making indelible contributions to their fields.
The Catherine Montgomery Advocacy Award will be presented to media icons Sir Harold Evans and Tina Brown. Other special guests include Marc Bouwer (fashion designer) and Clarence Page (journalist). Musical prodigy Myles Mancuso and his band will perform.
Proceeds from the Gala will support the programs of the American Institute for Stuttering.
Stuttering is widely misunderstood and one of the few disorders that an uninformed public feels is okay to laugh at, causing much shame and humiliation for those who stutter. AIS recognizes that for the three million people and their families affected by stuttering in the United States, it is much more than just a communication disorder. AIS’ therapy approach is designed to restore and maintain a sense of personal dignity and communicative freedom, while providing instruction on speech techniques that allow the individual to minimize the severity of their stuttering, and emotional support and individualized counseling.
