NEW LONDON, NH – On May 8 at Colby-Sawyer College’s Wheeler Hall, the

beloved Women Who Make A Difference Luncheon celebrated its 25th anniversary of honoring extraordinary women from the community and raising funds for Lake Sunapee Region VNA and Hospice. “Our milestone 25th year was as amazing and joyful as ever with more than 200 guests and lots of happy energy,” says Cathy Raymond, Development Officer.

As is tradition, children from the New London Elementary School chorus welcomed guests with two songs, adapting the lyrics of one of them to honor the fact that the luncheon “is still standing after all these years.” Guest speaker Joan Ecker, Designer/Owner of Fat Hat Clothing, was funny and truly inspiring with her story of faith and resilience. Special moments added this year included a “toast” to 25 years and an exciting Silver Ticket cash raffle made possible by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, the exclusive Silver Sponsor. “In addition to our Silver Sponsor, we also thank Ledyard National Bank, Ellie Snyder, Mascoma Bank, and Gail Matthews … and all the donors and guests that made the event so successful and memorable,” says Raymond. “We were also able to personally acknowledge 11 past award winners who were in attendance, which was really special.”
The highlight was the much-anticipated presentation of the annual awards. Tina Helm (resident of New London) won the Woman Who Makes A Difference Award, and Adara Boucher (Kearsarge Regional High School student) won the High School Student Who Makes A Difference Award. “Both ladies exemplify giving back, commitment to others, and the impact of volunteerism. We congratulate Tina and Adara for making a difference,” says Raymond.