Tag Archives: Mary J. Blige

Making A Difference: L’Oréal Paris Honors Women of Worth at Special Ceremony in New York City

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L’Oréal Paris Honors Women of Worth at Special Ceremony in New York City. Ten Women Recognized for Making a Difference in their Communities with Special Guests including Mary J. Blige, Holly Robinson Peete and Erica Hill.  Shannon Lambert Named Women of Worth National Honoree by Public Vote

L'Oréal Paris' 2009 Women of Worth Honorees with Mary J. Blige, L'Oréal Paris President Karen T. Fondu and Senior Vice President of Marketing Anne Talley at the CNN Inspire Summit.

L'Oréal Paris President, Karen T. Fondu, with Mary J. Blige at the CNN Inspire Summit in New York City.

L’Oréal Paris’ fourth annual Women of Worth program honored ten women for their exceptional achievements and tireless volunteerism efforts at the CNN Inspire Summit in New York City. The event was held December 8th in celebration of the ten 2009 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honorees and featured an awards presentation by Karen T. Fondu, President, L’Oréal Paris Division. Special guests speakers included, Mary J. Blige, Holly Robinson Peete, and Erica Hill. The Women of Worth honorees represent a wide range of causes including education, female and youth empowerment, military support and healing for survivors of cancer and sexual violence. Each of the ten honorees received $5,000 from L’Oréal Paris for their charitable organizations, plus a $5,000 matching donation made in their name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the twelve-year charitable partner of L’Oréal Paris.

Women of Worth Program

The Women of Worth initiative celebrates women who passionately embody the spirit of volunteerism. The initiative empowers and celebrates women everywhere and brings the L’Oréal Paris “Because I’m Worth It” philosophy to life.

“We are so honored to welcome each of the 2009 Women of Worth honorees to this very special community,” said Karen T. Fondu, President, L’Oréal Paris Division. “Each of these amazing women embodies the L’Oréal Paris philosophy and supports our unwavering belief in every woman’s worth and in her power to make a difference in the world.”

Women of Worth Honorees

The ten 2009 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honorees are dedicated to a range of causes and are phenomenal examples of the power of volunteerism. Each honoree is an extraordinary community leader representing and inspiring women all across America.

  • Lillian Collins – Clinton, OK, founded Eastside Academy to assist African American children who need help in reading and math, providing a positive after-school program.
  • Anne Ginther – Sammamish, WA, founded RandomKid, which provides staff and services to youth of all backgrounds and abilities for the development, management and accomplishment of their goals to help others.
  • Maimah Karmo – Aldie, VA, established Tigerlily Foundation, which provides meals, financial assistance, empowerment and inspiration to younger women affected by breast cancer.
  • Brenda Murray – Chevy Chase, MD, has been transforming conditions and providing educational opportunities for thousands of women behind bars for the past 20 years.
  • Ora Rakestraw – Sacramento, CA, tutors third graders with special needs, helping these young people have a chance to experience success and stay committed to their education.
  • Carol Reza – Whitter, CA, founded Bridge of Faith to provide families of incarcerated women with mentoring and social service referral services.
  • Halle Tecco – San Francisco, CA, created Yoga Bear, an organization that provides free yoga classes to cancer patients.
  • Rhonda Ulmer – Denton, MD, provides local community resources to parents in her school to obtain their GED, housing, food and health assistance, transforming the school into the hub of the community.

The Women of Worth honorees were chosen from nearly 2,500 applicants by an elite group of judges, which includes Jacqueline Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo Communications Group; Soledad O’Brien, CNN Anchor; Dayle Haddon, L’Oréal Paris spokesperson; Elizabeth Howard, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund; Cindy Kerr, Founder and President of ConKerr Cancer and Anne Talley, Senior Vice President of Marketing for L’Oréal Paris.

Women of Worth National Honoree

Shannon Lambert, founder of Pandora’s Project, a community where women who have survived rape can connect and support one another.

The National Honoree, Shannon Lambert, recognized for her work with Pandora’s Project, which provides support, information and resources to sexual violence survivors received an additional $25,000 from L’Oréal Paris as a result of a national online vote at womenofworth.com.

“My own experience inspired me to create an innovative way for survivors of sexual violence to connect with each other and find the resources they need and deserve to heal.” — Shannon Lambert

It is estimated that at least one in six individuals will experience rape or sexual abuse in their lifetime, and for many, the aftermath of sexual violence is isolating and devastating. Pandora’s Project offers an online resource moderated by a team of volunteers that provides peer-to-peer support for male and female victims of sexual violence. The organization also operates a free sexual assault lending library, maintains resource lists for those in need of face-to-face support, and organizes retreat weekends for women ready to take their healing one step farther.

“I am delighted to be honored as a L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth,” said Lambert. “The support L’Oréal Paris has given to Pandora’s Project will enable us to continue to help victims of sexual violence and to support their recovery.”

For more information about the Women of Worth program and honorees, please visit womenofworth.com.

About L’Oréal Paris

The L’Oréal Paris division of L’Oréal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest in technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L’Oréal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories – haircolor, haircare, skincare and cosmetics – and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence and Féria haircolors; EverPure, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L’Oréal Kids haircare; Revitalift, Age Perfect, Skin Genesis, Collagen, Sublime Bronze and Men’s Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, Bare Naturale and HIP High Intensity Pigments cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others.

L’Oréal Paris is dedicated to women around the world and the company has been inspired to give back and make a difference in their lives. In 1997, L’Oréal Paris made a long-term commitment to raising awareness for ovarian cancer, which continues to build. To date, L’Oréal Paris has helped raise over $18 million dollars to further research and build awareness with fundraising efforts such as the L’Oréal Legends Gala and L’Oréal’s annual “Color of Hope” cosmetics collection.

Source:  L’Oréal Paris Honors Women of Worth at Special Ceremony in New York City, Press Release, L’Oréal Paris, December 9, 2009.

What Do You Stand For? Standup2Cancer Tonight At 8:00 P.M. E.T./P.T., 7:00 P.M. C.T.

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This year, approximately 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer — that’s more than 1,500 people a day. … Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. … In an unprecedented television event, NBC, ABC, and CBS will simultaneously devote 1 hour of commercial-free prime time to raise funds for the fight against cancer under an initiative called “Standup2cancer.”

What Do You Stand For?

  • This year, approximately 565,650 Americans are expected to die of cancer — that’s more than 1,500 people a day.
  • Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease. In the US, cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths.
  • The NIH estimate overall costs of cancer in 2007 at $219.2 billion:
    • $89.0 billion for direct medical costs;
    • $18.2 billion for lost productivity due to illness; and
    • $112.0 billion for lost productivity due to premature death.
  • Ovarian Cancer can afflict adolescent, young adult, and mature women, although the risk of disease increases with age and peaks in the late 70s. Pregnancy and the long-term use of oral contraceptives reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
  • Women who have had breast cancer, or who have a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer may have increased risk. Inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes increase risk. Another genetic syndrome, hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer, has also been associated with endometrial and ovarian cancer.
  • Ovarian cancer incidence rates are highest in Western industrialized countries.
  • Ovarian cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers among women and ranks #2 among gynecologic cancers.
  • An estimated 21,650 new ovarian cancer cases are expected in the U.S. in 2008.
  • An estimated 15,520 ovarian cancer deaths are expected in 2008.
  • Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.
  • Ovarian cancer is not a “silent” disease; it is a “subtle” disease. Recent studies indicate that some women may experience persistent, nonspecific symptoms, such as (i) bloating, (ii) pelvic or abdominal pain, (iii) difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, or (iv) urinary urgency or frequency. Women who experience such symptoms daily for more than a few weeks should seek prompt medical evaluation. (To learn more about the warning signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, CLICK HERE).
  • There is no reliable screening test for the detection of early stage ovarian cancer. Pelvic examination only occasionally detects ovarian cancer, generally when the disease is advanced. However, the combination of a thorough pelvic exam, transvaginal ultrasound, and a blood test for the tumor marker CA125 may be offered to women who are at high risk of ovarian cancer and to women who have persistent, unexplained symptoms like those listed above.
  • If diagnosed at the localized stage, the 5-year ovarian cancer survival rate is 92%; however, only about 19% of all cases are detected at this stage, usually fortuitously during another medical procedure.
  • For women with regional and distant metastatic disease, the 5-year ovarian cancer survival rates are 71% and 30%, respectively. The 10-year relative survival rate for all stages combined is 38%.
  • During 1987-2004, ovarian cancer incidence declined at a rate of 0.9% per year.

Sources: Cancer Facts & Figures 2008, American Cancer Society (Adobe Reader PDF); There Are Many Ways To Fight Cancer. Cutting Funding For Research Isn’t One of Them, by Paul Cacciatore, Libby’s H*O*P*E* post, June 10, 2008.

Tonight, over 50 of the most renowned personalities in TV, film, sports and music will come together to make history. In an unprecedented television event, NBC, ABC, and CBS will simultaneously devote 1 hour of commercial-free prime time to raise funds for the fight against cancer under an initiative called “Standup2cancer.” In May, Libby’s H*O*P*E*™ covered the opening of the Standup2cancer initiative. [May 30, 2008].

A spectacular line up of talent including Jennifer Aniston, James Taylor, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, David Cook, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Charles Barkley, America Ferrera, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank, Forrest Whitaker, Jimmy Fallon, Keanu Reeves will make personal appearances on the show. These celebrities and more will educate you, move you and entertain you. They will also be on hand to answer your calls in the celebrity phone bank.

To donate, CLICK HERE. The YouTube video below provides an explanation of how the public donations will be used.

SU2C: Where the Money Goes?

The premiere TV performance of “Just Stand Up” – the star studded charitable single in support of Stand Up To Cancer will be performed tonight by legendary recording artists Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood.

Just Stand Up! – Standup2cancer