After 6 months of planning, 100 Women was launched successfully on March 25th at Bankwest Place in Perth city.
The weather was slightly overcast, but that didn’t stop the almost 100 attendees from enjoying the open air breakfast and getting to know one another. Local Perth musician, Sarah Pellicano, performed her original music on an acoustic guitar throughout.
The room was packed as Advisory Committee Member Kristy Rodwell opened the proceedings by acknowledging the Noongar people who are the traditional custodians of this land. The launch was held at Raine Square, named in honour of Mary Bertha Raine, a pioneering Perth businessman woman and philanthropist who established the Raine Medical Research Foundation in the late 1950s at the UWA. The Foundation has made a distinguished contribution to medical research since its inception.
Founder and Chair, Alicia Curtis, wowed the gathered attendees with her passion and energy for the cause she champions. 100 Women ambassador, Maria Saraceni, asked what difference we can make in the world. She talked about her own observations about sex trafficking in Perth and made the comment that these things happen, often under our noses, and we would never know because they are so well hidden by the perpetrators.
Michelle Slater, also an Advisory Committee member wrapped up the event by inviting attendees to join the 100 Women movement and invest in 100 Women’s vision, “to ignite women’s philanthropy through the power of collective giving to advance the empowerment of all women”.
The Advisory Committee would like to sincerely thank all of the generous people and businesses that provided their support to the team in our first 6 months. We are excited to have members signing up on the website and are hopeful that together, we can create an organisation that connects our members more closely to the causes they are donating to.
(Pictured above Alicia Curtis, Maria Saraceni, Erica Smyth and Michelle Slater)
