On January 23, 2025, SAY proudly hosted its inaugural Benefit Gala in Washington, DC, at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre. The evening was filled with inspiring performances, heartfelt connections, and unforgettable moments.
The incomparable Kelli O’Hara, an award-winning performer known for her work on Broadway, at Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, The New York Philharmonic, and the Kennedy Center, served as our host and performer. A devoted supporter of SAY since 2004, Kelli’s extraordinary talent and warmth lit up the stage as she joined the incredible young people of SAY: DC in sharing their original songs and stories.
The night also celebrated Vivian Sisskin, the recipient of the Budd Mayer Advocacy Award. As a trailblazer in the field of speech-language pathology, Vivian has been a steadfast advocate for people who stutter and an invaluable part of the SAY community for over two decades. Her work has positively impacted countless lives, and it was an honor to recognize her enduring contributions.
Thank you to our Gold Sponsors Justin Waller and Michael Stehlik for your incredible generosity and dedication to supporting young people who stutter.
This magical evening was a true celebration of SAY’s mission to empower young people who stutter and ensure their voices are heard and celebrated. We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us and supported this extraordinary event. Thank you for helping us amplify the voices of our SAY: DC community!
“I have been inspired for 20 years by the work SAY has been doing. As a parent and a person who has benefited from using my voice to express myself all my life, I want to do everything I can to support an organization for kids that honors their self-expression and helps them find their voices.”
The DC community has always been a source of inspiration for Taro Alexander, Founder of SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young. Raised in DC, Taro discovered his creative voice here with the support of family, friends, and teachers at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Having stuttered since age 5, Taro dreamed of an organization like SAY—one that could provide young people who stutter with the encouragement and understanding they deserve.
Since 2001, that dream has become a transformative reality. With permanent branches in New York City, Washington, DC, and Melbourne, Australia, as well as a two-week, overnight summer camp and special outreach events across North America, SAY has changed the lives of young people who stutter and their families. Through innovative programs addressing the physical, social, and emotional impacts of stuttering, SAY ensures every child has the time and space to speak—because every voice matters. Committed to inclusion, SAY provides financial assistance to over 75% of families, ensuring no child is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Over nearly 25 years, SAY has welcomed countless courageous young people. Watching their transformation—from silence to confidence—has been profound. With your support, SAY continues to build a world where every voice is celebrated and heard.
"SAY has consistently been a positive, pioneering force to empower and support young people who stutter through innovative camp, community, and creative arts programs. Recognition of my advocacy work will bring attention to stutter-affirming practices within the therapeutic community, benefitting children who stutter everywhere."
Kelli O’Hara, star of stage and screen, has established herself as one of Broadway’s greatest leading ladies. The Tony Award winner, Emmy and Grammy-nominated actress has appeared in twelve Broadway shows for which she has garnered eight Tony Award Nominations.
She won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy, Drama League and Outer Critics nominations for her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in “The King and I”. She then reprised the role while making her West End debut garnering a prestigious Olivier Nomination for her performance. O’Hara was awarded the Drama League’s Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award in 2019.
O’Hara received an Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in Topic’s hit web series, “The Accidental Wolf”, and can currently be seen as Aurora Fane on HBO’s critically acclaimed series, “The Gilded Age”. Her extensive Broadway credits include “Kiss Me Kate” (Tony, Drama League, OCC nominations), “The Bridges of Madison County” (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), “Nice Work If You Can Get It” (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), “South Pacific” (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), “The Pajama Game” (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), “The Light in the Piazza” (Tony & Drama Desk nominations), “Sweet Smell of Success”, “Follies”, “Dracula”, and “Jekyll & Hyde”.
In 2024, O’Hara returned to Broadway in The New York Times ‘Critics Pick’, new musical, “Days Of Wine And Roses”. This production, which garnered rave reviews during its Off-Broadway run at The Atlantic Theatre Company last summer, has been a labor of love for O’Hara and composer Adam Guettel.
Vivian Sisskin, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-F is a Clinical Professor Emerita in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland and Director of the Sisskin Stuttering Center. She is a Fellow of the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA) and a Board-Certified Specialist in Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders. She was honored with the ASHA Media Champion Award for promoting an improved understanding of communication disorders through her appearances on local and national television, radio, internet, and print. She was named Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year by the National Stuttering Association.
Vivian served as Coordinator for ASHA’s Special Interest Group for Fluency and Fluency Disorders, a nationally recognized authority providing evidence-based education and resources to speech-language pathologists. She served as Vice-Chair of the American Board of Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency Disorders, and Chair of ASHA’s Council for Clinical Certification in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CFCC). She is a faculty member for the Stuttering Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic Workshop, as well as the Workshop for University Faculty and Doctoral Students.
Vivian is the creator of ARTS®, Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering, a stutter-affirming approach to therapy with outcomes that include comfortable, confident, and joyful communication. Her articles and international workshops cover stutter-affirming practices, atypical disfluency, principles for effective group therapy, and communication in autism. Vivian and her associates created the YouTube Channel “Open Stutter” to serve as a community resource for stutterers and their allies, a forum for perspectives on neurodiversity, and to support those on a journey of acceptance and change.