For the fourth consecutive year, in partnership with TIME’s Person of the Year, American Family Insurance has announced its Dreamer of the Year Award. This year’s honoree is Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization that spent the early days of 2025 responding to a disaster close to home after Los Angeles was devastated by one of the most destructive wildfire events in its history.
The honor recognizes an individual or organization that works tirelessly to protect, restore, and champion the dreams of their communities.
Headquartered just up the coast in Santa Barbara, Direct Relief mobilized quickly and decisively. Said Direct Relief CEO Amy Weaver, “Hope is our organization’s anchor. Nothing is more important than giving someone hope – letting them know that people see them, care about them, and believe better days are ahead.”
In the earliest hours of the crisis, Direct Relief team members stepped up to support one another and the community, leading with a simple question. How can we help you? That mindset offered not just immediate assistance but also a sense of hope and a pathway forward as families began to imagine rebuilding their futures.
In the six months following the fires, Direct Relief distributed more than $12 million in financial and material aid, supporting 65 community organizations. Those efforts ranged from search and rescue operations to in-school support programs helping students cope with trauma.
To honor this year’s Dreamer of the Year, American Family Insurance released a long-form film and a thirty-second spot with creative direction from Elite Media, the brand’s creative agency partner. Watch below:
“Disaster recovery is about more than delivering aid. It’s about restoring people’s dreams and dignity, and the belief that a future worth building is possible,” said Sherina Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at American Family Insurance. “We’re proud to, once again, partner with TIME to recognize the dreamers who understand the importance of protecting those dreams.”
American Family Insurance’s partnership with TIME began in 2020, when the organizations collaborated on a virtual reality exhibit honoring the 50-year anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a defining moment rooted in the power of a dream.
CREDITS:
BRAND: American Family Insurance
- Sherina Smith – Enterprise Chief Marketing Officer
- Colleen Orani- Vice President, Marketing
- Nick Baillies – Senior Marketing Specialist
- Yasir Kamal – VP, Communications & Community Engagement
- Nancy Chang – Media Marketing Manager
AGENCY: Elite Media
- Chris Crawford – Chief Creative Officer
- Gati Curtis – President
- Jindai Joseph – Executive Creative Director
- Mo Alsadi – Art Director
- Kecia Paredes – Account Director
- Donna McLean – Media Strategy Director
- Jacqueline Crockwell- Project Manager
MEDIA AGENCY: Infinite Roar
- Lindsay DelMedico— EVP, Strategy
- Ashley Waller, VP, Strategy
- Matt Woolf – Associate Director, Strategy
PRODUCTION PARTNER: TIME Studios
- Jeff Smith – Executive Producer
- John Hirsch – Director
- Leah Steltenpohl — Senior Manager, Special Projects
- Teagan Nurse — Global Director, Customer Success
- Francesca Cristiani— Project Manager, Customer Success
- Beth DeVillez — VP, Partnerships
- J. Ivy – Voice Talent
- Alexandra Piepenbrink — Senior Designer
- Diana Valentin — Campaign Manager
- Natasha Macri — Director, Marketing Partnerships
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