Vice President Joe Biden to be Honored by Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation

NEW YORK – The Joyful Heart Foundation, founded by actress, producer, director and advocate Mariska Hargitay, will honor Vice President Joe Biden at its annual Joyful Revolution Gala on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center in New York City.

Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to help survivors heal and reclaim joy in their lives. Today, Joyful Heart is a national organization with hubs of service in New York City, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. Its mission is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.

Vice President Biden has been a tireless advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In the years since the public spotlight has turned to the hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits languishing in law enforcement facilities and crime labs, the Vice President has taken a leadership role within the Obama administration to provide resources for local communities. 

Since 2010, the Joyful Heart Foundation has made the elimination of the rape kit backlog a top priority. Through partnerships with federal, state and local government, non-profit organizations, law enforcement, advocates and survivors, we are working to bring attention, critical funding, and reforms to improve the criminal justice response to sexual violence. Learn more at www.endthebacklog.org. 

The Joyful Revolution Gala will also honor Verizon for their enduring partnership and commitment to raising awareness around domestic violence and sexual assault. 

Red carpet details will be released in late April. The Gala itself is closed to media, but the Vice President’s remarks will be open to credentialed members of the media.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 10, 2016, 5:00 – 11 PM (Media check-in, schedule will be released in late April

WHERE: David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY

CONTACT: Melissa Schwartz, media@joyfulheartfoundation.org

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