Pixs: Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake Receives the 2015 Women’s Initiative Award from the United Way
April 3, 2015
by HughE Dillon
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New
Jersey Women’s Initiative hosted its annual gala
last week at the Crystal Tea Room. Presented by Independence Blue
Cross, proceeds from the gala go to support Women’s Initiative programs
for at-risk women and girls, such as Girls Today, Leaders Tomorrow (GTLT), which is aimed at helping adolescent girls develop self-esteem and leadership skills.
From left: Rev Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, president, Independence Blue Cross Foundation, mayoral candidate James Kenney, and Sheila M. Hess, manager of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation programs. Sheila gave Lorina a lovely tribute from the podium.
From left: Chris Murray, VP of communications, Jim Cawley, president and CEO, and Annie Madonia, SVP of strategic philanthropy, all at of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New
Jersey.
Jersey.
From left: Hannah Gillean, Katy Rieger, Molly Sullivan, Emily LeStrange and Kaitlyn Holmes.
More than 800 community leaders were there, along with young women from GTLT, their family members, and supporters of the program. Tina Tinneny and J. Lindsay Johnston co-chaired the event, which began with a cocktail party, then continued with dinner and a program where Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, vice president of community affairs for Independence Blue Cross, was given the 2015 Women’s Initiative Award.
From left: Jenice Armstrong, Philly Daily News and Yvonne Moss (aunt of Lorena who traveled by train from NC to be here.)
From left: Tazhjay Little, Nasira Huff, Laurisa Adorno, and Buneighja Handy.
From left: Tara Buckley, Carla Archer Carr and Heather Schmidt.
From left: John Dugan, Suzann Imperiale and Sr. Mary Scullion.
Lia Wertheimer, Christina Zipf, Dominique Casimir, Greg DeShields, Executive Director at PHLDiversity Multicultural Affairs Congress a division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors .
Rev. Reed, Terri Dean and A. Bruce Crawley.
Tony Frick and Fox 29 executive producer Alissa Ingram Frick
MC for the evening, NBC10’s Tracy Davidson encourages guests to donate to the United Way’s Women’s Initiative via their phones.
Ashanay Graham, 15, I’m a leader because I don’t give in to peer pressure says Ashanay, who wants to be a teacher and Marie Lange
Karen Gately, Maddy Nikolic, Ellie Utter, Abby Konopka and Maddie Madeira.
Jim Cawley, president and CEO of UWGPSNJ honors Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake with the 2015 Women’s Initiative Award.
