March 09, 2017

21st annual ‘Celebrate Women’ event is March 30

The 21st annual “Celebrate Women: Honoring Inclusive Excellence” event – a time to celebrate the contributions of women to university life and raise funds for scholarships – is from 4:30 to 7 p.m., March 30, in Morris Library. 

The event will start with a silent auction from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. in the library rotunda. A catered reception featuring wine and hors d’oeuvres, with music provided by Joyce Hesketh, is from 5 to 6 p.m. in the rotunda and Hall of Presidents. 

Everyone is welcome. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased from Martha Ellert by calling 618/521-0613 or by email msellert@aol.com. Tickets are also available on campus from Carol Jackson at 453-1099 or cjackson@siu.edu

Elizabeth Lewin, interim associate chancellor for diversity, will offer the welcome, followed by remarks from Mary Colwell, honorary chair, with words of appreciation from a previous Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies scholarship recipient. The program will also feature a student-designed fashion show, “A Celebratory Parade of Women.” 

A variety of honors and awards will be presented including the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)/University Women’s Professional Advancement (UWPA) Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity Award; the American Association of University Women (AAUW), SIU Women’s Club and WGSS scholarships; the Women’s Intersport Network for Southern Illinois (WIN SI) Awards and the UWPA Mentoring awards. 

Sponsors of “Celebrate Women” are SIU’s WGSS and UWPA, the Office of the Associate Chancellor for Diversity, the Carbondale branch of the AAUW and WIN SI. The reception is being catered by Crystal’s Catering and More.