When the doors open at the Hilton Doubletree in Danvers on Thursday, April 5, at 11:30 a.m., hundreds of community leaders, elected officials, business men and women, girls and supporters of girls will unite to celebrate Girls Inc. 30th Annual Celebration luncheon. “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,” says Deb Ansourlian, executive director of Girls Inc. of Lynn.
“We are especially proud to present Robert F. Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank, with our Strong, Smart, and Bold Award at our milestone celebration. 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,” says Ansourlian.
“On behalf of Eastern’s 1,900+ 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 Robert F. Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank. “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 highlight of the luncheon 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 whose research focuses on higher education, race, and the academic achievement of girls of color. In the Spring of 2017, she became a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellow.
Along with Eastern Bank, 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 are also proud sponsors. The event will be emceed by Emmy Award-winning anchor on NBC 10 Boston and Latoyia Edwards and co-chaired by Jen Hardy Thornton of Marblehead and Chris Meninno of Swampscott. Individual tickets are $100. Table sponsorships are $1,250. Sponsorships begin at $3,000. To join the luncheon as a sponsor or an attendee, please contact Donna Crotty at dcrotty@girlsinclynn.org or call 781-592-9744 ext 243.