MANA de San Diego President and Deputy Attorney General Marissa Bejarano has been selected this year’s winner of the Soroptimist Ruby Award by Soroptimist International of La Mesa (SILM). The award honors women who, through personal or professional efforts, are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of women or girls.
Bejarano will be honored for her volunteer work with MANA where, through the Hermanitas Youth Leadership Program, she has worked to reduce high school dropout and teen pregnancy rates among Latina girls, and encouraged Latinas to pursue higher education. She is currently President of MANA’s Board of Directors.
The award will be presented at the Soroptimist Annual Awards Luncheon on Saturday, March 12, at the Crowne Plaza, located at 2770 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley.
The public is invited. Admission is $40 per person. Reserved tables also are available. Reservations will be accepted as long as space is available. Proceeds will benefit Soroptimist community service programs.
Others being honored include Elena Cruz with La Maestra Community Centers, Katherine Fountain with Kids on the Block, Fumiko Osada with Friends of the El Cajon Library, and Colette Shenker with Social Advocates for Youth.
SILM will present Soropti-mist Women’s Opportunity Awards (WOA) to Laurissa Grinston and Danielle Bru-netta, and the Soroptimist Violet Richardson Award (VRA) to student Ashlyn Wilson. The WOA provides financial assistance to women who are trying to improve their lives through education or training. The VRA honors girls, ages 14 to 17, who are helping to improve the lives of others through their volunteer service.
In addition, the club will recognize several “businesses for supporting our community,” including Southwest Airlines, SDG&E, Enhancery Jewelers, Home Depot, and Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company.
San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon and will address the topic of Human Trafficking.
SILM is a volunteer service organization of business and executive women whose mission is to “improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.”
For more information or reservations to the luncheon, visit www.silamesa.org or, contact Luncheon chair Delia Talamantez at (619) 295-7815, or Linda Newell at (619) 847-8033.