At The Village’s annual Girl Within fundraiser on Friday, December 6, donors and corporate sponsors raised a record-breaking $211,000 to provide critical support to women and girls in Greater Hartford, who have been affected by trauma and other challenges, through life-changing services at The Village.
The event raised its highest amount ever in its twenty-four-year history. Nearly 500 guests attended to hear inspiring stories from Village clients who have overcome adversities, as well as this year’s honorees.
The Village honored Lhakpa Sherpa, the world’s most decorated woman mountaineer, as the 2024 Girl Within Woman of the Year in honor of the inspiring resilience she’s shown against challenges in her life—from scaling the heights of Mt. Everest ten times to overcoming the depths of domestic violence. Today, she empowers other women by sharing her story, which was recently featured in the Netflix documentary “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa.”
Ms. Sherpa grew up in adverse conditions in Nepal, where she wasn’t allowed to go to school and receive an education. She raised her young family in Connecticut so that they could receive an education and access opportunities for their future.
“Lhakpa Sherpa truly embodies resilience and hope, which is the heart of our Girl Within event,” said Village President and CEO Hector Glynn. “She has inspired so many through her courage and determination in the face of some of the most challenging personal and professional feats imaginable. We are so proud to recognize Lhakpa as our 2024 Woman of the Year.”
Newington High School student leader Isabella Longo was named 2024 Young Woman of the Year recognition of her work in various leadership positions in her school and community, including her efforts to positively impact the mental health of her peers through mentorship. She founded a first-of-its-kind “Link Crew” to provide new students with mentors to guide them in their transition to the school. Isabella has recruited over 40 of her peers to become mentors to many freshmen, transfer and foreign exchange students to ensure they are connected and supported at school.
During the event, Longo shared an empowering message for other young women:
“To all young women, with dreams, ideas and desires to make a difference, I want to remind you that no idea is too small to spark change. Fear will always be part of the journey, but it shouldn’t stop you from acting. Even the smallest acts of kindness can have the ripple effect that touches lives more than you imagined. So trust in your voice, trust in your vision and take that first step, no matter how small,” Longo said.
Past honorees of the Woman of the Year award include social justice advocates, environmental activists, philanthropists, non-profit and business leaders, actors and volunteers, including Jessica Zachs, Jennifer Steadman, Paula S. Gilberto, Dr. Estela López, Linda Carlson Hart and others.
Proceeds from Girl Within support a range of services at The Village that help women and girls to heal and build resilience, confidence and independence. Girl Within has raised more than $1.6 million since its inception.
Other top sponsors included gold sponsor Cigna; Woman of the Year sponsor The Zachs Family Foundation; silver sponsors All Waste, Inc., Arbella Insurance Foundation, Ares Management, Carrie & Chris Casciani, Beth & Rick Costello, Fairview Capital, KPMG LLP, Liberty Bank, Max Cares Foundation and OneDigital; bronze sponsors Chubb, CohnReznick, Ernst & Young, GOYA, George & Diana Jepsen, KeyBank Foundation, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Risk Strategies, Robinson & Cole, LLP, Rossmore Private Capital, Smith Brothers Insurance and Talcott Financial; and patron sponsors CLA, Connecticut Health Foundation, David & Jan Klein, Janet Porriello, and Mike Zurcher.
To learn more about the event and its impact visit thevillage.org/gw.
