Focus Magazine of SWFL Hot Summer Looks | Page 156

By Susan Bennett

PACE

Center for Girls of Lee County raised
$35,575 at the Sixth Annual Grande
Dames Tea April 4 at the Broadway Palm in Fort Myers.
Barbara Brown of Fort Myers, Sarah Sciple of Matlacha and
Margaret Sirianni of Fort Myers were honored for their roles
in Southwest Florida history and their decades of service and
helping others. Mei-Mei Chan, The News-Press Media Group
President and Publisher, once again served as mistress of
ceremonies.
Chair of the event was Cheryl Komnick with Deanna Hansen
serving as co-chair. Both are members of the PACE Lee Board
of Directors.
“These three outstanding women come from varied backgrounds and offered some insightful advice for the audience
and the PACE girls,” Komnick said.
“Our theme of The Wisdom of Age – Honoring the Female
Spirit was so appropriate because each of these women has
much to share from their own life’s journey,” Hansen said.
This is the sixth year of the historic Grande Dames Tea. Previous honorees have in cluded philanthropists Berne Davis,
Eleanore Kleist and Barbara B. Mann in 2009; Jeanne Bochette,
Helen Hendry and Veronica Shoemaker in 2010; Myra Daniels,
Kathleen Nealon and Mimi Straub in 2011; Michel Doherty, Mavis Stinson Miller and Anna “Boots” Tolles in 2012; and Thelma
Hodges, Helen O’Rourke McClary and Ettie Francis Walsh in
2013.

PACE is a Florida-based, not for profit organization, and the
only statewide prevention program for adolescent at-risk girls
in the nation. Its mission is to provide girls and young women
an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. In the past year, the Lee County
program provided 116 girls with education, counseling, training
and advocacy.
PACE accepts referrals from the juvenile justice system, the
Department of Children & Families, school personnel, community services agencies, parents, family members, friends and
self-referrals. PACE Lee’s most recent outcome report shows
that 94 percent of girls served have no involvement with the
criminal justice system a year after transitioning from PACE’s
day program. As a result, PACE reduces the significant long
term costs associated with teen pregnancy, substance abuse,
unemployment and long term economic dependency.
For more information about PACE, call 239-425-2366

The Grande Dames Tea was originated by PACE Center for
Girls of Lee County to honor women who have played major
roles in Southwest Florida history through decades of service,
philanthropy and helping others.
The agenda for the tea included interaction between the PACE
girls and the three Grande Dames, in a question and answer
format.
White House | Black Market was the title sponsor of the
Grande Dames Tea. Other major sponsors were the Broadway
Palm Dinner Theatre and Edison National Bank, along with
media sponsors Grandeur Magazine and The News-Press Media
Group.

2012 Grande Dame Michel Doherty and PACE Board member
Kendra Sutton

www.pacecenter.org/lee
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