The event will take place on Thursday, May 23 at Portland’s Holiday Inn by the Bay. It will begin with a networking reception from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by lunch and the program, from noon to 2 p.m., according to a news release.
As the fund’s annual fundraising event, the luncheon brings together 600 prominent business, professional and communityminded people to network, discuss women’s leadership and invest in economic security for Maine’s women and girls. The event, emceed by Suzanne Nance of MPBN, will honor five Maine leaders who promote and inspire social change for women and girls.
The luncheon will also feature success stories from Maine Women’s Fund grantees: The Community Schools at Opportunity Farm and Camden, Women Unlimited, and Women Work and Community.
According to the release, this year’s honorees include:
— The Tribute to Women in Industry Award recognizes a woman who is a leader in her field and has achieved significant accomplishments as a business owner, business executive or nonprofit organizational leader. This year’s recipient is Lewiston native and artist Anne Taintor.
— The Sarah Orne Jewett Award is given to a Maine woman who exhibits the attributes of the women in Jewett’s works of fiction: true grit, independence, courage, humor and discipline. Jewett was noted for her works of fiction that highlighted the extraordinary in the ordinary, exalting small details that illustrated a common humanity. This year’s award goes to photographer Samantha Appleton of Camden.
— The Samantha Smith Award recognizes a young woman or women from Maine who work to promote social change in their school or community, inspire other girls to become active in supporting long lasting change in Maine, use their voice boldly to influence others, and make a difference in their community. This year’s recipients, Waterville natives Julia Bluhm, Maya Brown and Izzy Labbe, are members of the Girls Advisory Board of Hardy Girls Healthy Women. They engage in activism both online and on the ground.
About the Maine Women’s Fund
¦ THE MAINE WOMEN’S FUND is a public foundation transforming the lives of Maine women and girls through strategic grant making, community engagement, and support to nonprofit organizations dedicated to social change. Since 1989, the fund has granted almost $1.7 million to organizations across the state.
¦ LEARN MORE at www.mainewomensfund.org.
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