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541 542 543 544 545<div id="title-75ab4e7fda" class="cmp-title ncmec"> 546 547 <h1 class="cmp-title__text" align="center"><span>NCMECâs Hope Gala: Honoring Those Who Turn Ideas into Impact </span></h1> 548</div> 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562<div class="hero-banner-wrapper "> 563 <div class="hero-banner hero-banner-carousel image-content"> 564 <a id="heroImage.1"> 565 <picture> 566 <!-- tablet landscape --> 567 <source media="(min-width:769px) and (max-width: 1024px) and (orientation: landscape)" srcset="/content/dam/missingkids/hero-banners/blog-2026-hope-awards.jpg.transform/hero-tablet-landscape/image.jpg"/> 568 <!-- mobile devices --> 569 <source media="(max-width:767px)" srcset="/content/dam/missingkids/hero-banners/blog-2026-hope-awards.jpg.transform/hero-mobile/image.jpg"/> 570 <!-- tablet portrait --> 571 <source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) and (orientation: portrait)" srcset="/content/dam/missingkids/hero-banners/blog-2026-hope-awards.jpg.transform/hero-tablet-portrait/image.jpg"/> 572 <!-- desktop --> 573 <img class="hero-full-width" src="/content/dam/missingkids/hero-banners/blog-2026-hope-awards.jpg" alt="woman in black dress stands at podium as three men in suits and woman in white dress stand behind her"/> 574 575 </picture> 576 <div class="hero-content-wrapper container left"> 577 <div class="hero-content-wrapper no-width container ncmec-hb-vTopAlignment"> 578 <div class="hero-content" style="color: !important"> 579 580 581 582 583 584 <div class="btn btn-sm btn-link no left" style="color: !important"> 585 </div> 586 </div> 587 </div> 588 </div> 589 </a> 590 </div> 591 592 593 <!--Image Right Align and Text Left Align--> 594 595 596 <!--Image Left Align and Text Right Align--> 597 598 599</div> 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610<div align="left" class="author-byline"> 611 612</div> 613 614 615 <div class="container blog"> 616 <div class="clearfix js-extendheight"> 617 618 <div class="col-sm-12 main-content-area"> 619 <div> 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628<div class="row ncmec2-container" style="z-index:auto; border-top-left-radius:0px; border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px; 629 border-bottom-left-radius:0px; background-color:rgba(255,255,255,1); 630 opacity:1; padding:0px 0px 0px 0px; 631 margin:0px 0px 0px 0px"> 632 633 634 635 <div class="col-sm-12 col-lg-10 col-lg-offset-1 cq-Editable-dom"> 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652<div class="row ncmec2-container" style="z-index:auto; border-top-left-radius:0px; border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px; 653 border-bottom-left-radius:0px; background-color:#ffffff; 654 opacity:; padding:0px 0px 0px 0px; 655 margin:0px 0px 0px 0px"> 656 657 658 659 <div class="col-sm-12 col-lg-10 col-lg-offset-1 cq-Editable-dom"> 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671<div align="left" class="author-byline"> 672 By Emma Henderson Vaughan 673</div> 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682<div> 683 <div align="left" class="publish-blog-date"> 684 09-17-2026 685 </div> 686 687</div> 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698<div id="text-7a9745e126" class="cmp-text nmec2-text2" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,1);opacity:0.9;border-radius:20px;"> 699 <p><span class="ncmec2-p3">Sometimes change starts with just one idea.</span></p> 700 701</div> 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714<div id="text-d32a20eab7" class="cmp-text nmec2-text2" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;background-color:white;border-radius:0;"> 715 <p><span class="ncmec2-p3">Thirty years ago, Diana Simone helped turn an idea born from tragedy into what would become the national AMBER Alert system. Today, AMBER Alerts bring communities together to help find missing children and have changed the way the country responds when a child goes missing.</span></p> 716<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">That same spirit was at the heart of NCMECâs 2026 Hope Gala Wednesday night, where Simone was honored alongside four other individuals who each saw an opportunity to make a difference and chose to act.</span></p> 717<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">Held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., the annual gala brought together supporters, advocates, law enforcement professionals and technology leaders committed to creating a safer future for children.</span></p> 718<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">âOur honorees didnât spend their careers in the child protection field,â said NCMEC CEO Michelle DeLaune as she opened the evening. âThey didnât claim to have all the answers. They simply saw something they could do to make the world safer for children, and they did it.â</span></p> 719<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">For Simone, that meant recognizing the power of bringing an entire community into the search for a missing child. </span></p> 720<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">"I had no idea how full my heart could be," Simone told the audience. "But this award isn't for me. It'
720s for all of the people out there who called in a tip, who saw an alert and took action. They turned this idea into a lifesaving reality." </span></p> 721 722</div> 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 <div data-asset-id="f2fe26d8-8564-4023-b4f1-c2a27712a117" id="image-5ef403fbc4" class="cmp-image" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" data-asset="/content/dam/missingkids/blog/Diana-Simone-accepts-award.jpg" data-title="two pictures. L: man in gray suit give woman in black dress award; r: three men in suits, two women one in white dress and other in black"> 731 732 <img src="/blog/2026/ncmec-hope-gala-honoring-those-who-turn-ideas-into-impact/_jcr_content/parsys2/container/null/container/null/image.coreimg.jpeg/1789670463669/diana-simone-accepts-award.jpeg" onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src=this.parentNode.dataset.asset;" loading="lazy" class="cmp-image__image ncmec2-image ncmec2-image-align-center" itemprop="contentUrl" alt="two pictures. L: man in gray suit give woman in black dress award; r: three men in suits, two women one in white dress and other in black"/> 733 734 735 736</div> 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749<div id="text-e498c60c32" class="cmp-text nmec2-text2" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 0px 0px 0px;background-color:white;border-radius:0;"> 750 <p style=" text-align: center; 751"><i>Diana Simone accepts her award alongside Revé, John, Callahan and Hayden Walsh.</i></p> 752<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">The award was presented by NCMEC co-founders, Revé and John Walsh, alongside their sons, Callahan and Hayden Walsh. </span></p> 753<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">"You are all angels,â said John, addressing a crowd of nearly 500 people who gathered to support NCMECâs critical mission.</span></p> 754<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">NCMEC itself was born from the belief that what happened to one family should not happen to another. Decades later, Tim and Tamia Woods found their own way to turn unimaginable grief into a commitment to protect others. </span></p> 755<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">After the loss of their son, James, the Woods chose to share their story, working to protect other families from the growing threat of <a href="/blog/2026/ncmec-releases-new-sextortion-data-2025.html">financial sextortion</a>. Through the "Do It for James Foundation," the Woods have become leading voices in the fight against sextortion, advocating for change and educating families and young people.</span></p> 756<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">"We will continue to speak," said Tamia. "We will continue to yell and scream and teach and do everything we can do to make sure that everyone in this room, and outside of this room, gets the chance to see their child grow up." </span></p> 757 758</div> 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 <div data-asset-id="9663805f-e407-47e5-a753-4a6dcd3289bc" id="image-3d3223465d" class="cmp-image" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" data-asset="/content/dam/missingkids/blog/Tim-Tamia Woods-Regina-Schofield.jpg" data-title="two photos: 1: two women in black dresses and man in dark suit; r: woman and man stand at podium smiling"> 767 768 <img src="/blog/2026/ncmec-hope-gala-honoring-those-who-turn-ideas-into-impact/_jcr_content/parsys2/container/null/container/null/image_1806698759.coreimg.jpeg/1789670534949/tim-tamia-woods-regina-schofield.jpeg" onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src=this.parentNode.dataset.asset;" loading="lazy" class="cmp-image__image ncmec2-image ncmec2-image-align-center" itemprop="contentUrl" alt="two photos: 1: two women in black dresses and man in dark suit; r: woman and man stand at podium smiling"/> 769 770 771 772</div> 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785<div id="text-c09ed489ab" class="cmp-text nmec2-text2" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 0px 0px 0px;background-color:white;border-radius:0;"> 786 <p style=" text-align: center; 787"><i>Tim and Tamia Woods alongside NCMEC Board Chair, The Honorable Regina Schofield. </i></p> 788<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">As threats facing children evolve, so must the ways we protect them.</span></p> 789<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">For Jamie Siminoff, that meant seeing how technology could be used to bring more people into the search for a missing child. As the founder and chief inventor of Ring, Siminoff was recognized for his commitment to community safety. Through Ringâs partnership with NCMEC, information about missing children is shared directly with people in the communities where they disappeared, putting thousands of potential eyes on the search and helping bring many missing children home.</span></p> 790 791</div> 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 <div data-asset-id="d613339b-e95d-4049-b6cf-1c3acb963730" id="image-a21cb45c09" class="cmp-image" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" data-asset="/content/dam/missingkids/blog/Michelle-DeLaune-Jamie-Siminoff.jpg" data-title="two photos: l: man in dar
799k suit and red tie stands at podium; r: woman in blue dress and man in blue suit and red tie"> 800 801 <img src="/blog/2026/ncmec-hope-gala-honoring-those-who-turn-ideas-into-impact/_jcr_content/parsys2/container/null/container/null/image_891627831.coreimg.jpeg/1789670601096/michelle-delaune-jamie-siminoff.jpeg" onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src=this.parentNode.dataset.asset;" loading="lazy" class="cmp-image__image ncmec2-image ncmec2-image-align-center" itemprop="contentUrl" alt="two photos: l: man in dark suit and red tie stands at podium; r: woman in blue dress and man in blue suit and red tie"/> 802 803 804 805</div> 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818<div id="text-fc1c6411ab" class="cmp-text nmec2-text2" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 0px 0px 0px;background-color:white;border-radius:0;"> 819 <p style=" text-align: center; 820"><i>NCMEC CEO Michelle DeLaune alongside Ring founder and chief inventor, Jamie Siminoff.</i></p> 821<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">Innovation can also change the way law enforcement approaches an existing problem.</span></p> 822<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike Nyhof developed an innovative approach to pursuing dangerous offenders. Through persistence and leadership, his work has helped bring approximately 150 wanted sex offenders to justice and has since become a model for operations nationwide.</span></p> 823 824</div> 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 <div data-asset-id="f60126bc-04ce-4866-b1af-a20eeba462c9" id="image-effb917fd9" class="cmp-image" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" data-asset="/content/dam/missingkids/blog/Mike-Nyhof-Callahan-Walsh.jpg" data-title="two photos: l: man in black suit stands at podium; r: man in black suit and man in gray suit"> 833 834 <img src="/blog/2026/ncmec-hope-gala-honoring-those-who-turn-ideas-into-impact/_jcr_content/parsys2/container/null/container/null/image_858147631.coreimg.jpeg/1789670654140/mike-nyhof-callahan-walsh.jpeg" onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src=this.parentNode.dataset.asset;" loading="lazy" class="cmp-image__image ncmec2-image ncmec2-image-align-center" itemprop="contentUrl" alt="two photos: l: man in black suit stands at podium; r: man in black suit and man in gray suit"/> 835 836 837 838</div> 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851<div id="text-55935447a0" class="cmp-text nmec2-text2" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding:10px 0px 0px 0px;background-color:white;border-radius:0;"> 852 <p style=" text-align: center; 853"><i>Deputy U.S. Marshal Mike Nyhof alongside NCMEC Executive Director Callahan Walsh.</i></p> 854<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">From AMBER Alerts to advocacy, technology and law enforcement, this yearâs honorees showed that change can begin in many different ways.</span></p> 855<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">But the common thread is simple: someone recognized what could be done better and decided to do something about it.</span></p> 856<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">That is the heart of hope. When one idea becomes action, it can become something much bigger: a nationwide system, a new way of protecting children, a community united in a search or a movement determined to keep other families from experiencing the same loss.</span></p> 857<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">And sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to believe something better is possible.</span></p> 858<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">To see more photos from NCMECâs annual HOPE Gala, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncmec/albums/72177720335653787">click here</a>. To help NCMEC continue our critical work protecting children and supporting families, please consider <a href="https://www.ncmec.org/home?campaign=743271">making a donation</a>.</span></p> 859<p><span class="ncmec2-p3">---</span></p> 860<p><i>Photos by Sarah Baker & Claire Edkins</i></p> 861 862</div> 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 </div> 870 871 872</div> 873 874 875 876 877 878 </div> 879 880 881</div> 882 883 884 885<div class="background-white blog-page-tags"> 886 <div class="tag-title"> 887 <p>Topics in this article</p> 888 </div> 889 <div> 890 <div class="card-tags"> 891 <a class="no-text-decoration"> 892 <p data-card-tag="Missing & Exploited" href="/blog/explore">Missing & Exploited</p> 893 </a> 894 895 <a class="no-text-decoration"> 896 <p data-card-tag="Prevention" href="/blog/explore">Prevention</p> 897 </a> 898 899 <a class="no-text-decoration"> 900 <p data-card-tag="Partners" href="/blog/explore">Partners</p> 901 </a> 902 903 <a class="no-text-decoration"> 904 <p data-card-tag="Missing Children" href="/blog/explore">Missing Children</p> 905 </a> 906 </div> 907 </div> 908</div> 909 910</div> 911 </div> 912 </div> 913 </div> 914 </div> 915</article> 916 917 918 919 <div><div class="section"></div><div class="iparys_inherited"> 920 921 922 923 924 925 926<footer class="footer-container"> 927 <div class="container center-block"> 928 <div class="footer-nav-wrapper col-sm-10 col-md-8 center-block"> 929 <div class="row"> 930 <div class="subscribe-form col-sm-6 col-md-6"> 931 932 <div class="footer-highlight"> 933 24-Hour Call Center: 934 <a href="tel:+1-800-843-5678">1-800-843-5678</a> 935 </div> 936 </div> 937 <div class="footer-links-wrapper clearfix"> 938 <div> 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 <ul class="social-icons"> 946 <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ncmec"> 947 <img srcset="/content/dam/missingkids/icons/Facebookfooter-logo.svg" alt="https://www.facebook.com/ncmec" type="image/svg+xml" style="height: 28px;
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