Nearly 500 people gathered Wednesday for the annual Women of Distinction luncheon, which this year raised $89,500 to help support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – and the 13,000 children in the Chattanooga area who receive free books from the organization.
Signal Centers, which provides support to children and adults with special needs, took on the administration of the literacy program locally in the fall of 2020. Women of Distinction of Greater Chattanooga directed its fundraising efforts to the library this year in part to keep the impact of their work local, said Lynda Minks Hood, a member of the steering committee that organized the effort.
“When [Women of Distinction] reorganized in 2018, a chief purpose was to make sure 100% of the proceeds stayed in Chattanooga,” she said during the lunch at the Chattanooga Trade Center.
Sustaining the local Imagination Library requires about $160,000 a year, and every dollar raised through Women of Distinction for the literacy effort is matched by the state, Minks Hood said.
Women of Distinction has evolved over decades from a fashion-focused showcase created in 1985 to a broad philanthropic effort that recognizes the achievements of women in their careers and communities. Women are nominated for recognition based on their civic, cultural, philanthropic, human service, environmental and professional contributions to the community.