Several honored at Celebration of Women

Staff reports
·2 min read

MONROE — Several local women, including Marcella Osenbaugh-Valle and Shawna Vore, were honored at the 27th annual Celebration of Women event sponsored by the Soroptimist International of Monroe County.

Osenbaugh-Valle and Vore are co-owners of Cella-Mar Studio of Hair Design in Dundee. They received the Helen Appling Award, which is named for the woman who helped start the event.

Several honorees from the recent Celebration of Women event are shown.
Several honorees from the recent Celebration of Women event are shown.

"Their selfless contributions include providing haircuts for individuals at Fairview and Project Homeless Connect, as well as supporting initiatives at Sunrise House, Paula's House, Children With Hair Loss and Monroe County ISD," SI said. "This prestigious accolade is presented annually to women who have been nominated for their outstanding efforts in volunteering or initiating programs that significantly benefit our community. Marcella and Shawna exemplify the spirit of community service and empowerment that lies at the heart of Soroptimist International of Monroe County's mission. Their dedication serves as an inspiration to us all as we continue to strive for gender equality and uplift women in our society."

A total of $16,750 was awarded to area women who foster empowerment and education, SI said. $1,500 of the award money was provided by the Learning Institute to supplement two additional Virginia Wagner Awards. The late Wagner was a philanthropist and advocate for women's advancement.

Awards and their recipients were:

  • Live Your Dream Award: Alyssa Goss, Chelsea Williams, Naomi Pennington, Christy Rhoades, Avi’Yon, Horn, Kimberly Alicea and Sarah Jane Payeur

  • Virginia Wagner Award: Payton Bucki, Tara McBride and Kailey Rollins

  • Girls Youth Leadership Award: Ryleigh Eyler and Madison Steinman

Bucki also received an additional monetary award at the midwestern region level of Soroptimist and will be recognized at the Midwestern Region Conference in Fon du Lac, Wis. later this month.

"We are immensely proud of all the remarkable women honored at this year's Celebration of Women event," said Katie Burroughs, president of Soroptimist International of Monroe County. "Their stories serve as a testament to the strength and potential of women in our community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, supporters and attendees for their unwavering commitment to advancing gender equality and creating a brighter future for all."

Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news and high school sports content.

First District Judge Amanda Eicher was the keynote speaker.

"She courageously shared her inspiring career journey navigating a male-dominated industry," event organizers said.

Sponsors were First Merchants Bank, Knabusch Insurance Services Inc., Monroe Dodge, DTE Energy, La-Z-Boy Inc. and Friendly Ford

For more information about Soroptimist International of Monroe County, visit monroecountysoroptimist.org.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Several honored at Celebration of Women