Heroes Ball to honor advocates for children
Midweek update: Barry Switzer, Maggie Nichols among honorees at Saturday event
The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy will hold its 8th annual Heroes Ball on Saturday to honor advocates for children.
Joe Dorman, CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, notes the very worthy award-winners at the web site OICA.org.
Honorees include former University of Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer; the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; and former OU gymnast Maggie Nichols. Here’s more information from Dorman:
The Kate Barnard Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Barry Switzer. I am certain each of you will recognize him as the former football coach for the University of Oklahoma and the Dallas Cowboys. What you might not know is that he has been the honorary coach for Special Olympics Oklahoma for more than four decades and continues to do many good works that benefit young people. For this, our board felt he was very deserving of this recognition
For the OICA Organizational Child Advocate of the Year, we selected the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. From their deep roots in southeastern Oklahoma, this sovereign nation has had a tremendous impact on providing support for not only the young citizens of their nation, but also to all children who fall within their lands. This year, with the release of “Echo,” a Marvel Comics television series, increased recognition for recognizing the culture of their people and of all sovereign nations has been enhanced.
With the Jay Scott Brown Individual Advocate of the Year, former OU and Olympic gymnast Maggie Nichols was chosen. This award is named after our former board president who dedicated his life to helping at-risk youth. As an Olympian, Maggie faced sexual assault by the organizations team doctor, Larry Nassar. For Maggie’s courage to report him and help those many others to find their voice who were also assaulted by Nassar, she is certainly deserving of this honor. Her book “Unstoppable!: My Journey from World Champion to Athlete A to 8-Time NCAA National Gymnastics Champion and Beyond” showcases the need for raising awareness and helping others to have the courage to come forward and report crimes against young people.
Two other awards, the Henry Bellmon Public Servant Award and the Laura Boyd Public Servant Award, will be given to former House Speaker Kris Steele and former House Speaker Steven Lewis respectively.
The people’s choice award at OICA, named after the OICA’s longest-serving director, Anne Roberts, is still accepting public votes. Attendees at the Heroes Ball on Saturday, July 27, will cast paper ballots in this category as well.
The finalists for the Anne Roberts People’s Choice Awards in Child Advocacy for 2024 are:
Individual: Sarah Herrian, Ajaye Johnson, Te’Ata Loper, Shelby Lynch, Pamela Neeley, and Mary Beth Talley.
Organizational: Angels Foster Family Network, Anna’s House Foundation, the Comeback Kid Society, the Demand Project, Parent Promise, Peaceful Family Oklahoma, and the Toby Keith Foundation.
To cast votes for the Individual and Organizational awards, go to https://qrco.de/ARA2024.
For more information about the good work done by the OICA year-round, visit OICA.org. You can also download the OICA comic book, featuring an Oklahoma state Capitol adventure of kid superheroes, at the OICA site.
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.