Author’s note: those interested in supporting YDM’s Emerge scholarship should visit our event page. I hope to see many of you tomorrow night!
BOSTON – The Young Democrats of Massachusetts (YDM) will present their 4th annual ‘Ladies in Blue’ awards at the Roosevelt After Dark fundraiser at Storyville on Thursday, May 16th from 8:30-11:00pm. This year’s honorees are Senator Elizabeth Warren as Woman of the Year, Representative Ellen Story as Legislator of the Year, and Dr. Harmony Wu as Activist of the Year. Half of the proceeds from the event will go towards a new scholarship for a YDM member to attend Emerge Massachusetts, a training program for women running for office.
Immediately following the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Annual Roosevelt Awards, the Young Democrats traditionally host Roosevelt After Dark, a dessert and cocktail reception at which all are welcome. The event will also include the 4th annual ‘Ladies in Blue’ awards, which celebrate outstanding Democratic women named for their contributions to the Commonwealth. “This year YDM honors three remarkable women,” said Chair John H. Kleschinsky. “And I cannot think of a better way to honor them than with the establishment of YDM’s first scholarship program for young women interested in participating in the Emerge training program.”
For over 10 years, Emerge has recruited and trained Democratic women to run for office. Elizabeth Maynard, who is President of the Pioneer Valley chapter of YDM, graduated from Emerge in 2012. “Emerge Massachusetts is a program in which every woman leader who is considering a run for office should participate,” said Maynard. “The skills, tools, and confidence developed are invaluable resources for women with a desire to lead here in Massachusetts.” On the scholarship Emerge Executive Director, Taylor Woods-Gautier, commented, “Our goal is simple: to get more Democratic women elected. Thanks to the generosity of the Young Democrats of Massachusetts, we are thrilled to have this scholarship for young women to participate in our program.”
Who: Young Democrats of Massachusetts, interested members of the public. All are welcome.
Where: Storyville, 90 Exeter Street, Boston, MA 02116
When: May 16th, 2013 8:30-11:00pm
Host Committee: Barbara Lee, Evan England, Joe Caiazzo and Karen Cosmas of Knox Cannon Strategies LLC
Sponsors: Shawn Hartman, Josh Zakim, Harmony Wu, Suzanne Lee, Jay Livingstone
Tickets for this event are $20. Sponsors ($100), hosts ($250), and champions ($500) will be listed in the program. If you are interested in joining as a sponsor or host for this great event please contact YDM’s chair John Kleschinsky at jkleschinsky@ydma.org or (617) 544-7445.
Thanks David for putting us on the front page!
Anyone curious about who plans to attend should check out our Facebook event page.
Particularly the scholarship and training. EMILY’s List does great work, but getting young women elected locally now can ensure they will become national leaders down the road.