5:00-6:45pm Cocktail hour featuring silent auction, raffle, live harp music and roaming magician, plus professional courtyard photos for Premier Ticket guests

5:30-6:30pm Group pet psychic experience for guests who purchased The Spirit Hour

7:00pm Gourmet 3-course plant-based feast and program of speakers, featuring Ryuji Chua and HSHV President & CEO Tanya Hilgendorf

8:00pm Online silent auction closes

$225 Classic Ticket ($125 tax deductible): Dinner + drinks + silent auction

$350 Premier Ticket ($175 tax deductible): Includes all of the above + preferred seating + professional photo at the event + event t-shirt

$125 The Spirit Hour: Optional add-on which can be purchased with either ticket type. Exclusive small group experience with animal communicator Julie Hirt: join from 5:30-6:30pm to experience Julie’s communication with pets both living and passed, who are loved by individuals within the group. One of them may be yours!

Ryuji Chua

Filmmaker and Animal Advocate

Ryuji’s work covers topics like factory farming, animal sentience, speciesism, wild animal suffering and veganism, and he is known for communicating about these polarizing topics in an accessible and non-judgemental way.

He has published videos with animal protection organizations like Surge, Sentient Media and Faunalytics, spoken at schools like the University of Warwick, UC Berkeley and the University of Chicago, and was featured on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to discuss animal ethics and his independent documentary “How Conscious Can A Fish Be?”.

Ryuji currently lives in Tokyo and serves on the board of directors of Japanese animal advocacy non-profit Lib and as board president of Vegan Hacktivists.

Bobak Bakhtiari

Bakhtiari’s work within the energy sector, and his desire for a humane and truly sustainable food system, makes him a unique voice. While partnered with Shell Oil, he curated and launched Hangry Planet in 2022, the nation’s only health-driven, earth-loving, plant-based C-store in California. He later partnered with Vegan Mob, making dangerous BBQ soul food more accessible. In 2026, Bakhtiari opened an environmentally sexy Unburger and music venue in Ann Arbor. As executive director of Consumer Protection Foundation, Bakhtiari leads efforts to mitigate greenwashing and humanewashing agendas of corporations, while also pursuing environmental justice and wildlife conservation advocacy. Since 2003, Bakhtiari has also been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), volunteering to lift up the voice of court dependent children with significant abuse histories.

He is on the Board of Directors for Jefferson award recipient Moms Against Poverty, a global nonprofit that builds schools and orphanages. As a Stage and TV actor with Outer Critics Circle nominations for his regional theater work, he can sometimes be seen playing make believe. Bakhtiari notably suffers from spontaneous dance syndrome. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College, and resides in Ann Arbor with his wife, two children, a gang of rescued hamsters and 2 tabby cats.

Lifetime Achievement Award: To-Be-Announced!

Julie Hirt, Animal Communicator

Guests who purchase The Spirit Hour will join an intimate pet psychic experience with Julie Hirt, from 5:30-6:30 before the Compassionate Feast program. One of the animals she communicates with may be yours!

About Julie:  “Since my earliest memory, I’ve known we’re connected to something much larger than ourselves. And, for me, the natural world has been my gateway to this higher power. I’ve always felt more closely in-tune and aligned with animals, seeking comfort in their presence, laughter, most importantly, feeling safe, secure and protected.

Your animals are always trying to connect with you—through love, through signs, and even through challenging behavior or unsettling health issues. Whether they’re here or in spirit, I help you understand what they’re saying so you can deepen your connection with them and find comfort in your grief.

Let’s find out what your animals have to say!”

The Michigan Harpist

Chanah Ambuter will provide enchanting harp music during the cocktail hour. Since starting harp lessons at the age of 11, she has continued to follow that passion throughout her studies, culminating with her Master of Music in Harp Performance and Literature degree. Chanah performs frequently in the greater Metro-Detroit area and has worked to cultivate a full, romantic sound to entrance and dazzle her audience.

We have a special opportunity this year to host the Compassionate Feast in the largest and most magnificent space at Saint John’s Resort. Before dinner, enjoy browsing a silent auction in the luxurious Magnolia Room, and relax with a cocktail in the lush and cozy Iris Room lounge. For dinner and the program, step into the Monarch Ballroom: a breathtaking 3-story marvel with soaring crystal chandeliers, and a 100ft flass wall overlooking the Monarch Courtyard. The most elegant setting for an enchanted evening celebrating the animals!