$17,000 TO BE AWARDED TO LOCAL WOMEN & GIRLS

Over $17,000 will be awarded to local women and young women on Tuesday, March 8th as three Soroptimist clubs hold their annual awards reception at 7 p.m. at the First Christian Church of Kennewick at 19th and Olympia.

Soroptimist International of Mid Columbia (SIMC), Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick (SIPK) and Soroptimist International of Three Rivers (SI3R) will be presenting awards to 16 women and young women. The scholarships and awards support the mission of all Soroptimist clubs around the world, which is “the best for women and girls”.

The awards ceremony is held to coincide with International Women’s Day, a time to reflect on the progress made by women and to appreciate acts of courage and determination in pursuit of women’s rights and also to celebrate the Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA) Live Your Dream Campaign.

The awards given are: Violet Richardson, awarded to young women between the ages of 14 and 17 committed to making the world a better place through their volunteering; Women’s Opportunity Award (WOA), the major project of SIA. (Each year, more than $1 million dollars is disbursed through cash awards for the WOA at various levels of the SIA organization. Eligible applicants must be women who are the primary financial support for their families and who are enrolled in or have been accepted to a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program); the Fellowship Award, given to a woman in a post-graduate program; and the Ruby Award, a service award honoring a woman who works to improve the lives of women and girls. The Professional/Technical Award and the Helen Cox Award, in memory of a long-standing former member of SIPK, are two additional awards presented by SIPK.