New York, Oct. 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Town&Country magazine and Longines, the Swiss watch company, celebrated the "Longines Women Who Make a Difference" Awards on Thursday evening at the Hearst Tower in New York City. Saran Kaba Jones, Liz Ferro and Dr. Pam Cantor were honored for the extraordinary impact they have made on children's lives through their foundations - FACE Africa, Girls with Sole and Turnaround for Children.
See video from Swatch Group at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/Swatch_Group/Award_Ceremony/
Tennis legend, philanthropist and Ambassador of Elegance
Stefanie Graf and Emmy Award-winning FOX 5 News anchor Ernie
Anastos were on hand to help pay tribute to the honorees.
"We're pleased to have a vehicle through which we can highlight the
difference these women are making in the lives of children," notes
Town&Country SVP/Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Valerie
Salembier. "It's our hope that our readers share our appreciation
for the work these amazing women are doing and support them in all
of their endeavors."
In addition to the awards dinner held in their honor, winners
received a trip to New York for a professional photo shoot and the
opportunity to create awareness for their charity with a special
full page feature in Town&Country's February 2013 issue. To
complete the winners' new elegant look, Longines awarded each woman
a watch and made a donation on behalf of each guest to the charity
of their choice. Attendees had the option of choosing among FACE
Africa, Girls with Sole or Turnaround for Children.
"This is our fourth year celebrating women who make a difference
and each year it becomes increasingly difficult to pick only three
honorees," said Jennifer Judkins, U.S. Brand President for
Longines. "We're proud to offer our support to Saran, Liz and Pam
to help them continue the great work they do on behalf of the next
generation."
To be considered for the "Longines Women Who Make a Difference"
award, participants were asked to submit either a 200-word essay or
a short video detailing why their nominee is a "Woman Who Makes a
Difference." The nominees were collected by Town&Country and
the three honorees were chosen by a panel of judges from the
magazine and Longines.
The 2012 "Longines Women Who Make a Difference" award recipients
are:
Saran Kaba Jones, FOUNDER, FACE Africa: Nearly
800 million people (roughly 20 percent of the world's population)
lack access to safe drinking water. Lack of access to clean water
not only severely impacts people's health, it also suppresses
economic growth and negatively impacts women and girls' education
advancement.
Founder Saran Kaba Jones launched FACE Africa in January 2009 to
tackle the dire water and sanitation problem in her native Liberia,
where three million people lack access to safe and clean drinking
water. Through grants and partnerships with like-minded
organizations, FACE Africa launched a series of water and
sanitation projects, installing water purification systems capable
of producing up to 20,000 liters of drinking water per day.
www.faceafrica.org
Liz Ferro, FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Girls with
Sole: As a foster child herself, Liz Ferro was adopted at
the age of two and personally experienced sexual abuse as a child.
Liz credits athletics and fitness for giving her the self-esteem
and inner strength needed to overcome difficult times and view
herself and her body as purposeful and important.
Girls with Sole helps young women who have experienced sexual and
physical abuse, raising self esteem through a variety of fitness
and wellness programs. Ferro focuses on healthy living, good
nutrition and exercise to help hundreds of girls make healthier
choices in all parts of their
lives.www.girlswithsole.org
Dr. Pam Cantor, FOUNDER AND CEO, Turnaround for
Children: Dr. Pam Cantor founded Turnaround for Children
to address the profound influence of adversity and trauma on
children's ability to learn in high-poverty, low-performing
schools. Turnaround for Children partners with more than 60 schools
in New York City, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. to help these
schools create positive learning environments that foster
intellectual, social and emotional growth in every student.
Reports show that partner schools became calmer and more productive
environments with fewer behavior problems and higher ratings.
Schools saw a 51 percent decrease in police-reported incidences, a
77 percent decline in teacher turnover and over a three to four
year intervention period, students' math proficiency scores
increased 33 percent at the elementary
level.www.turnaroundusa.org
About Longines
Longines has been based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, since 1832. It
is celebrating 180 years of non-stop craftsmanship in 2012 and its
watch making expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition,
elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the
official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of
international sports federations. Longines is a member of The
Swatch Group S.A., the world's leading manufacturer of horological
products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined
timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has
outlets in over 130 countries.www.Longines.com
About Town&Country
Town&Country (www.townandcountrymag.com) has chronicled
American life since 1846, always putting an emphasis on people of
style and accomplishment who give something back to the world,
whether in service, philanthropy or creative endeavor. It is edited
with a feeling for storytelling, combining the highest level of
reporting with the very best photography. Town&Country is also
an acute observer of the broader social landscape, documenting
notable weddings and parties, chronicling the pastimes and passions
of leading figures and families everywhere, and casting an
anthropological eye on the lives of the rich and powerful in a way
that exposes surprising truths about us all. The magazine is a
trusted source of privileged information, taste, elegant living,
and unpretentious fun. It is an irreplaceable guide to the very
best that the world has to offer. Town&Country Weddings,
established in 2003, is published twice a year. In addition to
these print properties, Town&Country launched its first mobile
app, the Town&Country Luxury City Guide, in 2010. Follow
Town&Country on Twitter at @TandCMag.