Joyful Heart launches new 'Hawaii Says No More' PSA campaign

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Locally and nationally recognized musicians, television personalities, athletes, cultural practitioners, and community leaders have joined forces launched a campaign today to raise much-needed visibility and awareness about the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault across the state in a dramatic new series of public service announcements released today by the Joyful Heart Foundation. The Hawai'i Says NO MORE PSA campaign was directed by Mariska Hargitay, produced by Joyful Heart in partnership with Hawai'i News Now, as well as creative partners Wall-to-Wall Studios, Tony Novak-Clifford, Timothy White, Viacom and Invisible Man.

Founded by Law & Order: SVU actor, director and producer, and advocate Mariska Hargitay in Hawai?i 12 years ago, the Joyful Heart Foundation works to transform society's response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivor's healing, and end this violence forever. Joyful Heart Foundation maintains offices in Honolulu, New York, and Los Angeles.

Hawai?i Says NO MORE is the local version of the national public awareness and engagement campaign focused on ending domestic violence and sexual assault. Fifteen organizations, representing leaders from the state's domestic violence and sexual assault programs, as well as key government offices and community leaders, came together in January 2014 to develop a local initiative that launched in 2015. Hawai?i Says NO MORE challenges the attitudes and behaviors that lead to this violence and promotes local values that reflect aloha, respect and our connections through 'ohana.

Statistics underscore the urgent need for the PSA campaign, revealing that every day in our state over 500 victims seek support from domestic violence programs. 1 in 7 women in Hawai'i are survivors of sexual assault, which results in 67,000 women.

The commercial spots feature local talents such as Designer Kini Zamora, Na Leo - Nalani Choy, Lehua Kalima and Angela Morales, Hawai'i News Now General Manager Rick Blangiardi, Musician and cultural practitioner Kaumaka'iwa Kanaka'ole, Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong, University of Hawai'i Richardson Law School student Kara Teng, Punahou School student Nicolas Zambuto, Hawaii News Now's Steve Uyehara, Mileka Lincoln, and Dan Cooke, Slam Poet Kealoha, University of Hawai'i Football Coach Nick Rolovich, Bloomingdale's Ala Moana General Manager Carolyn Edward, Office of Hawaiian Affairs' CEO Dr. Kamana'opono Crabbe, stuntman and surfer Brian Keaulana, and Musician Justin Young and were all filmed at the Hawai'i News Now studios in Honolulu. University of Hawai'i professor Dr. Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, actor Daniel Dae Kim, musician Paula Fuga, Hokule'a crew member Jenna Ishii and Joyful Heart's founder Mariska Hargitay were shot at the Highline Stages in New York City, with the support of Viacom Velocity.

"As someone who was born and raised here, I know that sometimes it's hard to talk about hard things in Hawai'i. We believe Hawai'i Says NO MORE is a way for us to begin the conversation on our own terms, in our own voice, with our own people, in our own communities," said Maile Zambuto, Joyful Heart Foundation's Chief Executive Officer.

"I have had the great privilege of directing these PSA spots all over the country and I'm always deeply moved but nothing compares to the ways in which our local talent opened up their hearts and souls to make this an incredibly powerful experience," said Mariska Hargitay, Founder and President of Joyful Heart and director of the PSAs.

The PSA campaign's print ads will launch in December through AdWalls and with support from Wall-to-Wall. The radio component will launch at a later date.

For more information about The Joyful Heart Foundation, go to their website at www.joyfulheartfoundation.org or visit the Hawai'i Says NO MORE website at www.hawaiisaysnomore.org

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