The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. Recognizes Leagues and Individual Members

July 7, 2011 - PRLog -- New York, NY – The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) today announced the complete list of winners of its 2011 awards competition for Leagues and individual members who have shown exceptional achievement in creating or implementing programs and initiatives that result in lasting community impact.

“For 110 years, Junior Leagues and their members have made important contributions to improving the civic life of our communities and our country,” said Delly Beekman, AJLI President. “This year’s winners are remarkable because, through their actions, they demonstrate that civic leadership comes in many forms.  The common denominator among the award winners, both Leagues and individual members, is a commitment to change and a willingness to bring about that change.”  

AJLI’s 2011 awards to individuals were made to:
•   The Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award, AJLI’s most prestigious honor for an individual League member, was received by Mary Shaw “Shawsie” Branton, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Kansas City, for a lifetime of service to the Kansas City, MO community.
•   The Junior League of Halifax’s Aimee Dawson received a Rising Star award for her work on women and children’s medical issues across Nova Scotia.
•   The Junior League of Los Angeles’ September Hill received a Rising Star award for her outstanding advocacy across a broad range of issues, including women’s mental health, diversity, and education, as well as her co-creation of the JLLA Public Policy Institute.

AJLI’s 2011 awards to Leagues were made to:
•   The Junior League of Boca Raton received the Junior League Community Impact Award for an innovative program called In The Pines that provides low-income farmworkers with affordable but appropriate housing while working to improve their quality of life.
•   The Junior League of Minneapolis received the Junior League Leadership Development award for its innovative Leadership & Latte program, which empowers, equips and educates JLM members on a variety of crucial leadership disciplines.
•   The Junior League of Baton Rouge received the Building Diversity award for its top-to-bottom approach to diversity and cultural inclusion, including the implementation of a concrete process to transform JLBR, placing the issue of diversity front and center.  
•   The Junior League of Dallas received Honorable Mention in the Building Diversity category for its efforts to promote and foster a culture of inclusion across the organization through the establishment of its Diversity Task Force.
•   The Junior League of St. Louis received the Fund Development award for the successful revival of its Cinnamon Rolls fundraiser, a very successful fundraising and branding tool within the St. Louis community first used in the 1940s.
•   The Junior League of Collin County, formerly the Junior League of Plano, received Honorable Mention in the Fund Development category for its Trinkets to Treasures fundraising and community outreach program.
•   The Junior League of Northern Virginia received the Marketing and Communication award for its use of social media and other promotional tools to market its The Enchanted Forest fundraising program on a small budget.
•   The Junior League of Houston received the Membership Development award for its Junior League University program, which works to fully connect transferring members to JLH from their first day in town.
•   The Junior League of Wichita received Honorable Mention in the Membership Development category for its Community Credit System, an innovative membership program that provides volunteers with greater flexibility in how they spend their time and focuses League efforts on specific initiatives.
•   The Junior League of Charlotte received the Vision Award for its Healthy Child Initiative, which fosters the development of long-term solutions and approaches to childhood health in the Charlotte area.
•   The Junior League of Tulsa received Honorable Mention in the Vision category for its innovative strategic planning initiative, which was developed to assess community needs, raise client and member satisfaction, increase revenue and better position the League for growth.

The awards were made at AJLI’s 89th annual convention in Philadelphia on May 14, as delegates from 292 individual Junior Leagues from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK came together to celebrate the organization’s diversity, renewal and community impact.

About The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc.
Founded in 1901 by New Yorker and social activism pioneer, Mary Harriman, the Junior Leagues are charitable nonprofit organizations of women, developed as civic leaders, creating demonstrable community impact.

Today, The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) is comprised of more than 155,000 women in 292 Junior Leagues throughout Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, they constitute one of the largest, most effective volunteer organizations in the world.  For more information, visit http://www.ajli.org/.

Media Contact:
Tracy Van Buskirk
Marketcom PR
Main: (212) 537-5177 Ext. 8
Mobile: (203) 246-616
tvanbuskirk@marketcomPR.com

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The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.