L’Oréal Paris’ Fourth Annual Women of Worth Program
Honors 10 Extraordinary Women Dedicated to Volunteerism and Community
10 Women of Worth Honorees To Receive $5,000 for their Non-Profit Cause and
$5,000 in their name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
One Women of Worth To Be Selected As National Honoree for
Additional $25,000 For Her Cause
Public Voting Open on womenofworth.com for National Honoree
NEW YORK, NY (November 9, 2009) - L’Oréal Paris is proud to announce the ten 2009 Women of Worth Honorees, each of whom will be recognized for their amazing work giving back to their communities. As part of this honor, each of these incredible women will receive $5,000 for their non-profit cause and $5,000 in their name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, L’Oreal’s charitable partner since 1997.
Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree is now open on womenofworth.com. The honoree that receives the most consumer votes will win an additional $25,000 from L’Oréal Paris for her cause. The voting period for the 2009 Women of Worth National Honoree is open now through November 24th at womenofworth.com. Visitors to the site will choose one of the ten exceptional honorees, which they feel has made the biggest community impact through their devotion, community achievement and volunteerism.
All ten Women of Worth honorees will be publicly recognized at the CNN Inspire Summit, held in New York City on December 8.
The ten honorees represent women from all across America, dedicated to a range of causes and are extraordinary examples of the power of grassroots activism.
· Brittany Berquist, Norwell, MA, established Cell Phones for Soldiers, Inc. to keep toxic waste out of landfills and provide phone cards for troops serving throughout the world.
· Lillian Collins, Clinton, OK, founded Eastside Academy to assist African American children who need help in reading and math, providing a positive after-school program.
· Anne Ginther, Sammamish, WA, founded RandomKid, which provides staff and services to youth of all backgrounds and abilities for the development, management and accomplishment of their goals to help others.
· Maimah Karmo, Aldie, VA, established Tigerlily Foundation, which provides meals, financial assistance, empowerment and inspiration to younger women affected by breast cancer.
· Shannon Lambert, Minneapolis, MN, founder of Pandora’s Project, a community where women who have survived rape can connect and support one another.
· Brenda Murray, Chevy Chase, MD, has been transforming conditions and providing educational opportunities for thousands of women behind bars for the past 20 years.
· Ora Rakestraw, Sacramento, CA, tutors third graders with special needs, helping these young people have a chance to experience success and stay committed to their education.
· Carol Reza, Whitter, CA, founded Bridge of Faith to provide families of incarcerated women with mentoring and social service referral services.
· Halle Tecco, San Francisco, CA, created Yoga Bear, an organization that provides free yoga classes to cancer patients.
· Rhonda Ulmer, Denton, MD, provides local community resources to parents in her school to obtain their GED, housing, food and health assistance, transforming the school into the hub of the community.
Women of Worth Honorees
L’Oréal Paris will recognize the Women of Worth honorees by making a monetary donation of $5,000 to the nonprofit organization they work with and a matching monetary donation of $5,000 will be made in the name of each winner to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the twelve-year charitable partner of L’Oréal Paris.
The Women of Worth honorees were chosen from nearly 3,000 applicants by an elite group of judges, which includes Jacqueline Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo Communications Group; Soledad O’Brien, CNN Anchor; Dayle Haddon, L’Oréal Paris spokesperson; Elizabeth Howard, Chief Executive Officer of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund; Cindy Kerr, Founder and President of ConKerr Cancer and Anne Talley, Senior Vice President of Marketing for L’Oréal Paris.
Women of Worth Program
The Women of Worth initiative is inspired by L’Oréal Paris’ iconic brand philosophy, “Because You’re Worth It,” and recognizes, celebrates and supports women who are making a difference in their communities. To date, the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth initiative has recognized 40 women for their outstanding commitment to their causes and willingness to get involved. The 2009 honorees work tirelessly to empower women, mentor children, help survivors heal and motivate troops overseas.
“We are extremely proud to have the opportunity to honor this year’s honorees,” said Karen Fondu, President, L’Oréal Paris. “These women truly embody the spirit of volunteerism that brings to life L’Oréal Paris’ unwavering belief that every woman has the power to make a difference in the world.”
For more information about the Women of Worth Program, honorees bios and to vote for the 2009 Women of Worth National Honoree, please visit womenofworth.com. Voting ends November 24, 2009.
