Over 1,000 Women Will Convene to Raise Funds to Eliminate Racism and Empower Women and Girls

WHAT:       

On May 10, more than 1,000 community and business leaders in the Twin Cities will gather at YWCA Minneapolis’ 22nd Annual Circle of Women luncheon to pool their economic power and raise money for programs that eliminate racism and empower women and girls in Minneapolis. Luncheon guests are over 90 percent women – the focus on women is grounded in the idea that women are leaders of change, and when they come together to combine their power and resources, they can do extraordinary things. Last year, this event raised over a half a million dollars.This year, the inaugural Woman of Power Award will be presented to honor a woman who has shown exceptional leadership. The recipient is Kim Nelson, who retired as the highest-ranking African American woman at General Mills and continues to dedicate herself to ending the achievement gap for children of color.Celebrating the purse as a symbol of women’s economic independence, YWCA is hosting a silent purse auction before the program begins. During the program, guests will hear the stories behind YWCA’s mission and have the opportunity to join with thousands of philanthropists and advocates to fund the work of eliminating racism and empowering women and girls in Minneapolis. View photos from last year’s event.

WHEN:      

Thursday, May 10, 201810:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Purse silent auction and networking11:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.   Lunch and Program (featuring speakers listed below)

WHERE:

Minneapolis Convention Center – Ballroom A, 1301 Second Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55403

PHOTO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:           

Catch professional Twin Cities women arriving to network and bid in the silent auction. Featured speakers at the luncheon will be available to provide testimony to the impact of this event, the Woman of Power Award and the power of the YWCA Minneapolis donor community.

Kim Nelson, Woman of Power Award Recipient, can speak to the significance of receiving this award and supporting the work of YWCA Minneapolis.Kim Nelson has served as Senior Vice President of External Relations at General Mills, a member of the General Mills Senior Leadership Team and former president of a $1B+ operating division. Kim is a founding member of Generation Next – a cross-sector community partnership working to close the academic achievement gap in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Luz María Frías, President and CEO of YWCA Minneapolis, will reflect on the importance of women’s leadership (especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement) and YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women and girls.

Kathy Longo, Circle of Women Event Chair, YWCA Minneapolis Board Member and President and Founder at Flourish Wealth Management will speak to the power of this event and the YWCA Minneapolis community.

WHO:

YWCA Minneapolis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women and girls. For more than 125 years, we have worked to create opportunities to overcome social injustice, particularly in matters of gender and race. Last year, YWCA Minneapolis served more than 30,000 people in our community through early childhood education, girls and youth programming, health and fitness and racial justice advocacy and training. To learn more, visit ywcampls.org.

CONTACT:

Cori MattliYWCA MinneapolisOffice: (612) 215-4107 Cell: (612) 460-1125cmattli@ywcampls.org