NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 06/02/11 -- The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) will host its Fifth Annual Freeing Voices Changing Lives Benefit Gala on Tuesday, June 7th. Actress Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Queen Victoria), also an AIS board member, will host the event. The evening will honor Arthur Blank, Co-founder of The Home Depot and Owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. Both Emily and Arthur have personally dealt with stuttering and have chosen to share their stories with the public. Communications guru Michael Sheehan, Riki Sheehan and Coach Joe Moglia, Chairman of TD Ameritrade and Head Coach of the Omaha Nighthawks, are serving as Co-Chairs for the event. The reception will be followed by dinner and a much-anticipated "Freeing Voices, Changing Lives" Leadership Award presentation.

The King's Speech has thrust the plight of stuttering into the spotlight and it has been an enormous boost to stutterers because it demonstrates that anyone can have a stuttering disorder -- even a King. It has also been a great promotional benefit for AIS because it has drawn attention to the comprehensive programs that we provide for members and their families.

Following is an outline of the evening's agenda:

Master of      Emily Blunt, Actress, The Devil Wears Prada, Sunshine
Ceremonies:    Cleaning, The Adjustment Bureau

               Arthur Blank, Owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Co-founder of
Honoree:       The Home Depot

Gala Co-
Chairs:        Michael Sheehan, Communications Strategist
               Riki Sheehan
               "Coach" Joe Moglia, Chairman of TD Ameritrade and Head Coach
               of the Omaha Nighthawks

               Marc Bouwer (Fashion Designer), Tina Brown (Editor of
Special        Newsweek and The Daily Beast), Sir Harold Evans, Clarence
Guests:        Page (Journalist), Sam Waterston (Law and Order), Dr. Alan
               Rabinowitz ("The Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation")

Date:          Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Location:      Tribeca Rooftop - 2 Desbrosses Street, NYC

Event Time:    6:30 pm Reception Followed by Dinner and Awards Presentation

Photo
Opportunity:   6:30 pm - 7:15 pm

Performance:   Myles Mancuso (known as "Mojo Myles") and His Band

Tables:        $50,000; $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000 (Tables of Ten)

Tickets:       $2,500; $1,000 and $500

               Proceeds from the Gala will support the programs of the
Beneficiary:   American Institute for Stuttering (AIS)

About American Institute for Stuttering (AIS):
AIS was founded in 1998 by Catherine Montgomery (1951-2010), who was an internationally recognized speech-language pathologist with 30 years of experience dedicated exclusively to the study and treatment of stuttering. AIS is the only non-profit organization in the United States that offers specialized speech therapy to people who stutter of all ages, and guidance to their families. AIS provides much needed clinical training in stuttering to speech-language pathologists and students. The mission extends to advance public and scholarly understanding of this often misunderstood disorder.

For more information regarding the event or to purchase tickets visit: http://www.stutteringtreatment.org or call 212-725-7141
For Press Inquiries: Christine Madden at gala@cmaddenproductions.com