YW3CA Honors Women & Girls for the 27th Year in a Row.
The 27th annual Tribute to Exceptional Women & Girls was held Thursday, June 15, at the Valley Forge Casino and Resort. Over 230 people gathered to connect, network, and celebrate with fellow change-makers. YWCA Tri-County Area is committed to building a more inclusive and equitable society by empowering and inspiring women and girls.
For almost three decades, YWCA Tri-County Area has recognized and honored women and girls who embody the values of our mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. This year’s Tribute Event celebrates their significant contributions to the Tri-County Area, inspiring generations of trailblazers to continue making a difference.
Nominations for the 27th annual Tribute to Exceptional Women & Girls opened in April. The community nominated 33 truly exceptional women and 13 exceptional girls.
YW3CA deliberately eliminated award categories from the nomination process. This conveyed a powerful message. We truly honor and acknowledge every aspect of the nominee’s accomplishments without restrictions, limited definitions, or preconceived notions.
Although, we planned to honor five women and five girls with the Persimmon Paragon Award, we ultimately honored 6 women. Our voting committee was so impressed with this year’s pool of candidates that we unanimously agreed on six exceptional women. These 6 women aligned with YW’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Exceptional Women Awardees: Alana Hook, Linda Anthony, Denise Flynn, Makenzie Clanagan, Melissa Monser and Michaela Richardson
Exceptional Girls Awardees: Layla Bearden, Arlene Cadogan, Stephanie Sellers, Kate Bicalho, and Clara Johnson
Changemakers from the area joined us to honor these exceptional women and girls and hear from some amazing speakers.
Our program included Emcee Dr. LaTanya White-Springfield, Keynote speaker Kim Brazwell, facilitated discussions, awards, music by DJ H Vidal of Loud Radio PA, The Moonwatered, and vocalist
Olivia Reitz. Guests enjoyed raffles, drinks, brunch, and testimonials from participants whose lives have been positively impacted by YW3CA.
Kim Brazwell, CEO of Kimistry, is a highly requested coach and speaker; with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication and a Master of Arts in Educational Policy and Leadership. Furthermore, Brazwell has received leadership training from the John Glenn School of Public Affairs L2000+ Leadership Academy, the Chair Academy leadership program, and is a trained facilitator in the Art of Hosting through ALIA. In addition, she has also received trauma and resilience-specific training, hosted TED Talks, and authored two books, including Browning Pleasantville.
DJ H. Vidal has entertained audiences across the east coast for two decades! Moonwatered is an alternative/indie girl band comprised of three members: Keira Meyer, Kaelyn Grosser, Olivia Magee, and drummer Mackenzie Keith.
Proceeds from Tribute to Exceptional Women support YWCA Tri-County Area’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Get Involved In Future Events
For over 20 years, YWCA associations worldwide have actively observed the Week Without Violence (WWV) in October, united in their goal to “End Violence.” Last year’s theme, “Beyond Resilience: From Surviving to Thriving,” was observed through art and activities designed to promote unity, reject violence, and create a safe space for conversations and healing. Each year the Week Without Violence (WWV) is an opportunity for communities to gather and collectively challenge themselves to be the change they wish to see in the world.
This year’s WWV will be held October 16th- 21st. During WWV, the 300 block of King Street in Pottstown is transformed into a community block event featuring the restoration of YW’s street art installation, a student art contest, dance, poetry, music, games, food, community resource tables, employment opportunities, and more. The block event will rain or shine from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 21st, in front of YWCA Tri-County Area, 315 King St in Pottstown.
If you are interested in joining the lineup of artists, community partners, vendors, and sponsors please get in touch with advancement@ywcatricountyarea.org.
For more events, visit yw3ca.org/events/ or follow us on social media, @YW3CA.
