Thursday October 18, 2007
W4W Champions for Her June 08
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Tim Lawson
(502) 753-2904
tim@tandemagency.com
MAYOR ABRAMSON JOINS WOMEN 4 WOMEN OFFICIALS TO
INTRODUCE NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING EVENT
Ten area groups will collaborate in planning and execution
of June 2008 event and benefit from proceeds
LOUISVILLE, KY (October 18, 2007) – Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson continued his message of building a “Healthy Hometown” by joining officials with Women 4 Women to introduce the development of a unique nonprofit fundraising initiative. The event will allow ten area nonprofit groups to contribute to the coordination and planning of a run/walk event and same-day festival, with all benefitting from proceeds raised. Spearheading the process is Women 4 Women, whose mission is to improve the health and economic well-being of women and girls in Kentucky.
The event, called the 2008 Champions 4 Her Walk, Run and Festival, grew our of the 2005 Louisville Women’s Summit hosted by Women 4 Women and the Louisville Metro Office for Women, sponsored by Norton Women’s Pavilion. It is scheduled to take place on June 21 of next year. Staff and volunteers from each of the ten benefitting organizations will all participate in planning, preparation and management of the overall event. All organizations will also utilize their extensive networks of contacts, volunteers and supporters to help promote the event throughout the community.
The organizations designated to participate and benefit from Champions 4 Her are: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, Maryhurst, Mom’s Closet, Project Women, The Center for Women and Families, University of Louisville Women’s Athletics, University of Louisville Women’s Center, West Louisville Girls Choir and Women 4 Women.
Initial financial support for the event is being provided through a $50,000 grant from the Gheens Foundation. The grant enabled Women 4 Women to develop the concept, recruit partnering organizations and will help cover a portion of the event costs. WAVE-TV is providing additional media support to help promote the event as well.
“I applaud the effort of Women 4 Women and the participating organizations,” said Mayor Abramson. “This type of public collaboration and initiative is exactly what Louisville needs to achieve our goal of becoming a Healthy Hometown.”
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“Our diversity is our strength; creating a collective capacity for programming, fundraising, volunteer activation and administration that far outweighs the sum of our parts. This initiative is only possible because of the broad sense of volunteerism and spirit of collaboration that exists here in Louisville – a spirit of community and collective accountability that the mayor cites often as a rallying cry for our citizens” said Stephanie Bateman, Chairperson of the Women 4 Women Board.
“In our quest to build a City of Champions, Champions 4 Her represents a groundbreaking formula which will not only benefit these ten wonderful organizations – but will also benefit the entire area as well,” said Ann L. Coffey, President and CEO of Women 4 Women. “We truly hope that this event will create an opportunity for everyone to play a part in creating a hometown that becomes one of the best places for girls, women and their families to live and work.”
Coffey said the companion events – the run/walk and the festival - will both take place on the same day. The run/walk will serve as the primary fundraising mechanism. Afterwards, a festival will emphasize the healthy hometown theme – with health screenings, information booths, exercise demonstrations, healthy food and seminars. In addition, the event will include music, art and games for children. In addition to emphasizing a message of improved health, the organization hopes to generate awareness about other issues, including financial education and the services each participating organization provides.
For more information about how to get involved with Champions 4 Her Walk, Run and Festival contact Women 4 Women by calling 502.561.8060.
Women 4 Women was founded in 1993 by Elaine “Cissy” Musselman as an annual golf tournament designed to raise money to support a variety of women’s and girls’ causes. What began as a golf tournament has evolved and grown into an ambitious focused organization designed to improve the lives of women and girls through four critical areas of focus: improving health, improving financial education, making a lasting difference in the community through funding and helping women make connections to other women and community resources.
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