Celebrating the 2025 Freedom Awards: Making a Lasting imPACT

Jun 16

Written By PACT

On Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, we gathered together for a sold-out 2025 Freedom Awards.

The event kicked off with a lively performance by R.Evolución Latina, whose singing and dancing lit up the stage and captivated the entire room.

We then transitioned into the live auction, which included a New York Night on the Town (tickets to Late Night with Seth Meyers, a wine tasting, and more!), a 3-night stay at The Atlantis Bahamas, and a Hyatt Hotel Experience in Miami, all of which were claimed in a matter of seconds!

We heard from Survivors’ Council member, activist and advocate, Melanie Thompson, who reminded us of the importance of survivor-informed work, “We do testify before Congress. We also inform policies. We try to create new ones that are not there. We try to eradicate ones that may not be that great or try to change the ones that we already have in our Legislature that may need some survivor testimony, but we also build community…Without any of the trauma that we experienced, there would be no PACT. There would be no gala.”

As attendees sat down for dinner, PACT recognized each Freedom Awards honoree:

Bekah Charleston took the podium to reflect on her journey and express her appreciation. Joining her that evening was her greatest guest, her son. It was a moving reminder of her strength, resilience, and the extraordinary example she continues to set as a role model for all of us!

AAA expressed their gratitude for being recognized by a peer organization and what it means to stand together in the midst of doing the hard work: “This organization does great work and to be recognized by this organization means a whole lot to us because we are constantly in the trenches trying to figure out how to help people while facing resistance and opposition…”

We heard from David Peckinpaugh, who represented the Maritz team: “We are really proud of the impact that we’ve had and the awareness that we built, especially across the hospitality industry, but we also know that we have a lot of work to do still ahead and that our efforts cannot cease.” The team celebrated their award at their town hall two days later!

PACT CEO, Lori Cohen, closed the night with poignant remarks, sharing about her experience of representing PACT at the White House for the recent passage of the Take It Down Act. She shared how she met the Heacock family, who lost their 16-year old son, Elijah Heacock, who was a victim of a sexual extortion scam.

She reminded us of the urgency of PACT’s work: “Before Elijah’s death, his parents had no idea predators were targeting children through social media. Elijah’s rural school lacked the tools and education that could have prevented this senseless tragedy. PACT must be there for Elijah’s siblings, and for children across this country in need of information to keep them safe from Internet predators.”

Now more than ever, we are deeply grateful for the generosity of our sponsors, including Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming along with Stardust, and THIS community.

Your support is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we unite: a world in which no child is ever bought, sold, or used for sex.

Thank you and see you next year!

It’s not too late to support PACT’s work! To give a gift, click here.