On April 3, LCCR welcomed more than 230 guests to our annual Celebration for Children’s Rights event. Collectively, we raised nearly $90,000 to fund our work with arrested and incarcerated youth in Louisiana. INCREDIBLE! Thank you!
All photographs by Charles E. Leche
LCCR is dedicated to keeping children out of the legal system so that they can thrive in their homes and communities. This evening, we celebrated our successes and recommitted to our vision of a Louisiana where every child, no matter their race or class, is free to be a child and supported in becoming a healthy adult.
Our guests heard from Jamila, the mother of a currently incarcerated child from East Baton Rouge. She shared memories of her little boy playing T-ball and soccer, standing up to a bully in the 5th grade (resulting in his unjust suspension), and, while visiting Africa, giving his shoes to another little boy because he could see that the child was in need. She recalled the confusion and pain she felt when she found out that her son, then a teen, had been arrested. She also spoke of how LCCR helped guide her through that crisis, and how LCCR showed the judge and DA a glimpse of who her son really is rather than let him be defined by the mistake he had made. Instead of getting a 30 to life sentence in adult prison, her son was remanded to juvenile prison and will be released next year on his 21st birthday. She can’t wait. To all the parents in the audience, Jamila reminded them how, despite our best efforts as mothers, fathers, and caregivers, children can still make poor decisions. It is in those moments that they need support the most.
Guests also heard from LCCR client Lauren, who shared some of her personal experiences as a child growing up in New Orleans and experiencing, firsthand, the juvenile legal system. With her on stage was her LCCR youth advocate, Kisha Edwards, who also read a letter from Amari, another client of hers.
Our guests then helped us present Dominque Jones-Johnson, the Founder & Executive Director of Daughters Beyond Incarceration, with our 2025 Pascal Calogero Champion of Justice Award. DBI uplifts Black girls with parents in prison and develops them into advocates, policymakers, and grassroots activists to forever change unjust systems and their own communities. DBI works to tear down barriers and strengthen relationships between daughters and their incarcerated parents. They work with girls ages 8 to 18 with programming centered on restorative healing, mental health and well-being, youth development, and advocacy. DBI also trains mentees to serve in leadership roles in their communities. Dominque came to this work from her own lived experience: her father has been serving a life sentence in Angola State Penitentiary since she was young. For Dominque’s 7+ years of incredible work helping girls advocate for themselves and their incarcerated parents in New Orleans’ legal system, we were thrilled to present her with our Calogero Champion of Justice Award.
In addition to our speakers, we wish to recognize our amazing partners on this year’s Celebration raffles. The NOW Massage: Downtown New Orleans kindly provided a gift certificate good for one free luxury massage–congrats to Meaghan M. on winning this prize! Sazerac House donated two tickets to one of its famous tasting classes–congrats to Laura S. on this raffle win! Steve Wilshire and Heaven Hill Brands returned this year to again offer a private whiskey or tequila tasting for twelve–a huge hit with past events. Congrats to Justin M. on this prize win! And finally, 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Melissa Araujo returned this year to offer the evening’s biggest prize: she pledged to close her popular restaurant, Alma, for one evening to personally prepare a serve a private three-course meal for four. Congrats to Megan and Phil L. on winning this grand prize!
As always, we can think of no better way to spend a beautiful (if slightly humid) spring evening than to come together with so many of our friends and supporters. Thank you for joining us and making this such a wonderful night out!
A special thank you goes out to our 2025 Celebration host committee…
Hank Bart & Wendy Lodrig Bart // Greg Browne & Harriet Riley // Sean Fisher // Ada Goodly Lampkin // Janina Jeff Ringo // Lelund Marzell // Josh McCarty // Nicole Caridad Ralston // Miles Thomas // Amber Walker // Duke Williams
Our 2025 sponsors and top donors…
Guardian of Justice:
Defender of Justice:
Advocate of Justice: Alma Cafe // Baptist Community Ministries // BCBSLA Foundation // Milly & George Denegre // Evan James Consulting // Diana & Sean Fisher // Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP // Lulu & Billy Freiberg // Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP // The G. Carter Law Firm LLC // Anne & Rob Gardiner // Gordon Arata Montgomery Barnett // Hancock Whitney // Sheldon Lykes // Mary & Dale MacCurdy // Methodist Health System Foundation Inc. // Kathy & Jerry Meunier // Perrier Esquerré Contractors LLC // ResourceFull Consulting // Sean Fisher Architect // Sessions, Israel & Shartle // Laurie & Paul Sterbcow // The Synergy Network // Sheryl Larson Thompson // Linda Usdin DrPH & Steven Bingler // Lynda & Irving Warshauer // Sarah & George Young
Benefactor of Justice: Ayu Bakehouse // Baker Donelson // Hank Bart & Wendy Lodrig Bart // Daliah Bauer // Bell Butler Design Architecture // Bernard & Franks // Courington, Kiefer, Sommers, Marullo, Matherne & Bell LLP // Melanie & Ken Ehrlich // Allison & George Freeman // Good Points Communications // Jack Harrison & Brittany Yoes // Huber Thomas LLP // JJ Fulton Companies // Lamothe Law Firm // Sally & Jay Lapeyre // Matt Morrin & Kim Ellis // OfficeOps // Laurie & Peter Ricchiuti // Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers // Jackie & Bruce Shreves // Allison & Pierre Stouse // Tatje Insurance & Financial Products // Diana Turner & Jimmy Miller // Anne & Quentin Urquhart
Fellow of Justice: Adobe Express // AKD Law // Anonymous // Amanda & Ryan Berger // Kirsten & Alex Breckinridge // Mannone Butler // Charles Leche Photography // Crescent Crown Distributing // Maria Elliott & Michael Kuhn // Jason Fujinaga // Eileen Gleason // Cassie Hudson // Sheriff Susan Hutson // Janina Jeff Ringo // Hans Jonassen // Susan & Andy Lee // The NOW Massage // Raymond James // Reconcile New Orleans // Sazerac House // Sarah Schirmer // Spectrum Arts NOLA // Alice & Bill Wright // ZenBusiness // Elizabeth & Carlos Zervigon
We also wish to thank the following for their partnership and steadfast commitment to our kids:
And those who lent additional assistance to help make this evening so special…
We’ll see you all again at the next Celebration in 2026!
