fbpx

Luncheon to celebrate women’s achievements

January 28, 2021 BY

The late Monica Hayes (second from right) pictured Geoff Fary and their children Sam and Bec.

THE Northern Bellarine will honour the achievements of women and their contributions to gender equality and community wellbeing in March.

Bennetts on Bellarine will host an International Women’s Day (IWD) lunch on March 9 – the day after the official annual global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

The lunch will include an address by guest speaker Robyn Smith, the first female elected vice-president of VIRTUS, an international body representing athletes with intellectual impairment.

Ms Smith is an elite netballer, coach, and sports administrator who advocates both nationally and worldwide for the inclusion of people with disabilities in sports.

She was named Benalla’s Citizen of the Year in 2011 for her fundraising efforts – in excess of half a million dollars over 10 years – for research into motor neurone disease.

The 2021 Monica Hayes Award will also be presented at the luncheon.

The award is in honour of the late Monica Hayes, who was a great role model for women and girls as a feminist, community leader and activist.

Ms Hayes was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2015 and died at home in Portarlington in 2016.

Her outstanding achievements were acknowledged in 2015 by the City of Greater Geelong when she was the recipient of the inaugural Women in Community Life Award.

The IWD committee is now seeking nominations for the 2021 Monica Hayes Award for women whose endeavours and active community involvements make a difference to and for others.

This could be achieved through assisting and encouraging women and girls to develop their potentials, new interests or skills or by mentoring or engaging with others in the community, for example, in social, sporting, cultural, environmental or econmic activities or in the promotion of social justice/rights.

People can nominate a friend, neighbour or colleague who lives on the northern Bellarine – Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Curlewis, Portarlington, Indented Head or St Leonards.

Nomination forms are available from the neighbourhood houses in Drysdale and Portarlington and the general stores/post offices in Indented Head and St. Leonards.

Nominations close on February 26. For more information, phone IWD Committee member Jeni Wills on 5259 2032 or email [email protected].

Organisers recommend booking early for the IWD luncheon at Bennetts on Bellarine early, as the event is popular every year and numbers are limited.

Bookings can be made online with TryBooking – any queries can be made to IWD Committee member Veronica Noonan at v[email protected].