ENOUGH! is grateful for the generous support of Change The Ref and its co-founders, Manuel and Patricia Oliver, who are sponsoring the $500 stipends for all eight of the playwrights in our 2023 lineup.
CHANGE THE REF'S MISSION
To raise awareness about mass shootings through strategic interventions that will reduce the influence of the NRA on the Federal level.
Change The Ref (CTR), was formed to empower our Future Leaders. CTR gives the kids of today the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism. It uses urban art and nonviolent creative confrontation to expose the disastrous effects of the mass shooting pandemic. It also brings focus to the NRA’s corrupt maneuvers to buy lawmakers, while forcing solutions which are essential to healing mass shooting victims’ families’ lifelong grief. Change The Ref’s ultimate goal is to give the young generation of survivors and victims a disrupting voice to help lead the way to change – a more peaceful future. #NeverAgain.
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The loss of 17 lives on February 14th, 2018 at MSD High School in Parkland, Florida due to yet another mass shooting, caused a conversation to erupt in our country and around the world and a youth movement to be born. CTR is an organization created to fuel the youth of today, empowering them to lead the way and make impactful changes happen.
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Founded in the memory of their son Joaquin "Guac" Oliver who was one of the 17 victims, Manuel and Patricia Oliver are committed to making sure that their son’s life and the lives of the other 16 victims are never forgotten and that real change happens to prevent future tragedies like this from happening ever again.
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The only way that will occur is if we have the ability engage the next generation and the generations after to get involved, fight for their values and beliefs and have their voices heard! To empower our next generation so they can fight for their values, have their voices heard, and impact change for their future.
Gun violence is an epidemic. It’s beyond school shootings, beyond any single incident, and even beyond the loss of our own loved ones. My wife and I founded nonprofit Change the Ref to empower future leaders and raise awareness about mass shootings. And that’s why I am excited to support ENOUGH!
