The chance to nominate a friend, co-worker or community member for a woman of the year award has come again.
Nominations for the Soroptimist International of Gore-voted competition are now open.
Organisation secretary Anne Gover said the awards celebrated women’s accomplishments each year.
Last year’s winner was Carol Dawson for her work with Riding with the Disabled, but Mrs Gover said the award celebrated women’s achievements in all areas.
This could include success in business, community affairs, education, health, politics and sport, she said.
The Gore District Council used to host the event, but stopped two years ago due to funding cuts.
The Soroptimists decided to carry on the tradition themselves, hosting last year’s awards.
Mrs Gover said it was so successful they decided to go again.
Club members vote for their preferred candidate and no-one knows the winner until the night.
This year’s award will be presented at a dinner at the Gore RSA and coincides with the club’s ongoing support of the Ovarian Cancer Foundation NZ.
The evening will become fancy dress as the awards coincide with the foundation’s "Frocktober" ovarian cancer research fundraising initiative.
Raffle tickets will be available on the night with funds going to Frocktober.
Mrs Gover said Soroptimists had fundraised thousands nationally for the foundation as the cancer affected women and girls.
Some of the research funded included training dogs to sense cancer in urine, she said.
Research into women’s health was underfunded, historically, which was one of the reasons it was the Soroptimists’ national project.
The nominations for woman of the year are open to all women over the age of 25 who have lived in the community for at least three years.
All nominees will receive a complimentary ticket to the dinner, to be held on Tuesday, October 14.
Mrs Gover said candidates were sometimes nominated by a friend or peer in secret and they had no idea they were up for the big award.
She is hoping Hokonui Fashion Design Awards winner Debbie Smith, who is a Soroptimist, will show her fabric creations in celebration of Frocktober.
Inquiries can be directed to Mrs Gover at sigore@siseap.org.
— Allied Media
