Nominations for the Monroe County Woman of the Year Award, the Lifetime Contribution Award and the Emerging Leader Award are now being reviewed by the selection committee.
Sue Owens, program specialist for the Community and Family Resources Department of City of Bloomington, said the selection committee for these awards consists of seven members: three commissioners, one past recipient of the Woman of the Year award, a past commission member and two members from the community at large.
Owens said the program’s goal is to “inspire other women in the community, to get involved with mentoring younger women and showing younger women they can be empowered to make a difference in their own lives as well as other women’s lives.”
The awards will be presented at a community luncheon March 23 at the Bloomington-Monroe County Convention Center, Owens said.
Tickets for the event are on sale until March 21 through the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office. Ticket prices run at $22.50 per seat or $250 for a table of 8. The doors will open at 11:15 a.m. and the event will commence at noon, running until 1:30 p.m.
This is the 31st year of this ceremony, and throughout the three decades, the recipients of the awards have been very common sights in the press and the community, Owens said.
This year’s awardees will join the ranks of women who include1988 recipient Faye Abrell, 2002 recipient Catherine Olmer,2004 recipient Helen Gibbons, 2014 recipient Karen Green and many other women who have contributed to the betterment of the community, according to the City of Bloomington website.
The awardees will receive a plaque, recognition and a free lunch during the ceremony to honor their contributions.
The ceremony is more than just a plaque and a handshake, however — it’s an event to recognize the things these women have done, Owens said.
“Usually we have the Girl Scouts present the flag,” Owens said. “We try to include younger girls. We try to partner with other organizations.”
Gladys DeVane, the 2012 recipient of the Lifetime Contribution award, will perform a theatrical presentation at the luncheon, Owens said.
Owens said the luncheon typically brings in a large crowd, last year totaling around 480 people. Many organizations are present at the ceremony, resulting in approximately 40 reserved tables at the previous luncheon.
While the current number of nominees is yet to be released, Owens said the number varies from year to year. Sometimes there are seven to 10 nominees and other times there are 25.
There is no age requirement for the nominees, but Owens said she cannot remember anyone under the age of 18 winning an award due to the prestigious nature that comes with them and the time necessary to achieve the requirements.
Owens said not only women attend this event, but many men as well. She encouraged anyone to come to the luncheon.
“It’s really an inspiring event,” Owens said. “I get inspired by it every single year in new and different ways.”
