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Do you know an extra special woman? Nominate her for Women’s Week honours

Winners chosen from nomination forms submitted to Business and Professional Women's Club (BPW) Sault Ste. Marie selection committee to be honoured at International Women’s Day dinner at Northern Grand Gardens March 8
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The women of Business and Professional Women's Club (BPW) Sault Ste. Marie are calling on the community to nominate a local woman (or women) to be honoured during Women’s Week, Sunday Mar. 4 to Saturday Mar. 10, to be held in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Mar. 8.

The honourees will be the special guests at a dinner Thursday Mar. 8, to be held at Northern Grand Gardens at 1324 Great Northern Road.

Those wishing to nominate a professional woman may contact Marlene McKinnon of BPW Sault Ste. Marie at 705-946-5642 or by email at [email protected] to receive a nomination package.

Criteria for nominations include;

  • Assisting other women to cope with personal crises
  • Being a positive role model for girls and other women
  • Breaking into new territory for women and easing the way for others to follow
  • Donating time and energy to work on the issues that are important to women
  • Outstanding work in the area of social change to improve the quality of life for all people

Nominations must be received by 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 22, and submitted by email or be delivered at any time (leave in mail box) to 18 Ferris Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6B 2R4

BPW Sault Ste. Marie is asking nominators to be sure to include the nominees contact information as well as your own on the nomination form.

For more than 60 years, the Business and Professional Women's Club has worked to improve the status of women, recognizing the valuable contributions women make to society.

For over 25 years, BPW Sault Ste. Marie has publicly recognized the contributions of Sault Ste. Marie and area women, to the improvement and promotion of the interests of women at a special dinner in their honour. 

One special woman will be chosen for each week day of Women's Week (depending on the number of nominations received). 

The group of winners will be chosen from nominations submitted by community members who submit nomination forms. If you will be nominating more than one woman, please use a separate form for each nominee. 

“Please be very specific in pointing out contributions rather than just using general words of praise. The Selection Committee makes their decision based only on the details submitted in writing. A resume will be helpful for background information should your nominee be selected,” a BPW news release stated.

The Selection Committee will make its decision within a few days of the deadline for nominations, and the honourees contacted by the beginning of the week of Feb. 26 so they can make arrangements to attend the dinner Mar. 8. 

“We hope that all honourees will be able to attend the dinner,” McKinnon wrote in the news release. Photos of honourees will be taken.

All nominators, family, friends and the public are welcome to attend the dinner. Dinners are $30 and can be reserved by email or calling McKinnon at (705) 946-5642 by the evening of Monday, Mar. 5, providing the number of guests and their names. 

Meals to meet dietary needs can be arranged when booking your reservation with McKinnon.

Melissa Kargiannakis, founder and CEO of skritswap, will be the guest speaker at the Mar. 8 celebration.

Local professional women whose names appear on a lengthy list of past honourees include;

  • Laurie Aceti, former Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (H-SCDSB) trustee
  • Debbie Amaroso, former Sault Ste. Marie mayor and city councillor
  • Donna Boston of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Sault office
  • Jo-Anne Brooks of Eazy Express
  • Leslie Cassidy-Amadio, former H-SCDSB chair and current trustee
  • Carolyn Hepburn, Sault College Dean of Indigenous Studies and Academic Upgrading
  • Donna Hilsinger, Water Tower Inn owner, Algoma Fall Festival
  • Diane Marshall, Christmas Cheer convenor
  • Marilyn Patterson, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 past president
  • Lucia Reese, Algoma District School Board (ADSB) director of education
  • Dr. Celia Ross, former Algoma University president and current professor

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