Five women are being recognized for their contributions to the community during next month’s annual Women of Distinction awards.
This Lethbridge and District YWCA has been hosting the annual awards event on International Women’s Day for the past 49 years. Lorien Johansen with the YWCA says over the past nearly five decades of these awards the recipients have impacted how the Lethbridge community has grown and developed in some way.
“I could give you Elizabeth Hall, who is one of our Women of Distinction, who the wetlands are named for,” Johansen says. “It really proves that it doesn’t matter how old you are, young, middle, near the end, but anybody, any woman of any age can make a significant impact.”
Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA Jill Young says this year the organization quite the slate of nominees.
“We have just got an incredible group of women and it just goes to show you what an amazing, talented, very invested in the community group of women that we have here and it is our pleasure and always our honour to be able to recognize the women that are doing incredible things in this community this year,” Young says.
This year’s recipients include Maral Kiani Tari for the Catalyst for Change Award, Dr. Carly Adams for the Guiding Light Award, Dr. Sayeh Zielke for the the Shattered Ceilings Award and Anna Campmans for the The Young Woman of Promise Award. As well Beverly Muendel-Atherstone will be recognized with the Lottie M. Austin Lifetime Achievement Award. Johansen explains the Life Time Achievement Award was renamed two years ago to the Lottie Austin Lifetime Achievement Award her husband Dr. George Evelyn.
“Beverly Mundell-Atherston is very well deserving of a Lifetime Achievement Award. I can’t wait to be able to talk about and show Lethbridge what she’s done and what she continues to do, to be fair. All of the things that help to make Lethbridge a better place and all of these women are doing exactly that,” Johanson says. “You don’t set out to live a life full of purpose, hoping that you’re going to be able to tack on all of these awards to your resume. You do it because that’s what’s in your heart. And all of our women this year and all of our women since 1976, that’s what they’ve done.”
“You don’t set out to live a life full of purpose, hoping that you’re going to be able to tack on all of these awards to your resume. You do it because that’s what’s in your heart and all of our women this year and all of our women since 1976, that’s what they’ve done.”
Young says the March 8th event will be a fun night for not only those being recognized but those in attendance.
“We’re going to have a great time and it’s an event that you just don’t want to miss because it is time to celebrate all the incredible things that women are doing in this community.”
More information about the event can be found on the YWCA website.
