LYNN — Hundreds of community leaders, elected officials, business men and women, girls and supporters of girls will attend Girls Inc.’s 30th annual Celebration luncheon at the Hilton Doubletree in Danvers on April 5 at 11:30 a.m.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2018 graduating class and our girl heroes. I am honored to be part of an organization that celebrates girls and women as leaders in the community,” said Deb Ansourlian, executive director of Girls Inc. of Lynn.
“Throughout the years, Eastern Bank has provided valuable support through the board governance and program support. We congratulate the bank on its 200th anniversary as well as applaud the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation on its plans to donate $1.8 million in targeted grants in 2018 to community-based organizations working to eliminate barriers and advance women in its communities,” she added.
Robert F. Rivers, chair and CEO of Eastern Bank, will receive Girls Inc.’s Strong, Smart, and Bold Award at the event.
“On behalf of Eastern’s 1,900-plus employees, we are honored to be recognized with this year’s Strong, Smart, and Bold Award, and are a proud supporter of Girls Inc.’s mission to inspire all girls to reach their highest potential,” said Rivers. “Our organizations share a commitment to doing good things to help women and girls prosper, and it’s especially fitting to receive this award when the advancement of women and girls is a focus of our advocacy and corporate philanthropy in 2018. Supportive networks lead to strong girls and stronger communities. We thank Girls Inc. for giving at-risk girls access to mentoring relationships and programs that build their confidence to be our next generation of leaders.”
A luncheon highlight will be a keynote speech by alumna Jomaira Salas Pujols. Pujols is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University. Her research focuses on higher education, race, and the academic achievement of girls of color. Last spring she became a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellow.
Along with Eastern Bank, sponsors include United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley, Old Neighborhood Foods, Nick and Chris Meninno, GE, Comcast, Boston Harbor Marine, D & R Contracting, Salem Five and Christian Book Distributors. The event will be emceed by NBC 10 Boston anchor Latoyia Edwards and co-chaired by Jen Hardy Thornton of Marblehead and Chris Meninno of Swampscott. Tickets are $100 and available by contacting Donna Crotty at [email protected] or 781-592-9744, ext 243.
