Former Miss Indiana Is wEw Speaker April 21

Press release from the Dearborn Community Foundation

Gabrielle Reed

provided

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - 2010 Miss Indiana Gabrielle Reed is the featured speaker at the Women Empowering Women (wEw) Power of the Purse Brunch in late April. wEw, a program of the Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc. (DCF), is holding the brunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at the Dearborn Country Club in Aurora.

The April 21 wEw brunch is the fifth annual such event hosted by wEw, which kicked off its mission to connect women who care with causes that matter in the community in 2008. wEw is a Dearborn County initiative of women joining together to empower women to become active, informed and responsible members of their community. With a vision to improve the status of women of all ages in the community through support of programs that address critical needs, this initiative hosts the annual brunch to raise funds to award impact grants and to build the wEw endowment fund at DCF.

The cost to attend the brunch is $25 per person with a special Student Rate of $12 per student. Anyone interested in attending the event is asked to RSVP by April 12 contacting the Dearborn Community Foundation at 322 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 or by calling the office: 812-539-4115. Checks should be written to the Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc. Table space is limited, so it’s important to reserve space as soon as possible.

Three organizations that serve Dearborn County residents are nominated to receive impact grants at each wEw brunch. Attendees of the brunch can select one organization to receive a $1,000 grant and the other two organizations will receive a $500 grant.

Reed, 24, is an advocate of victims of domestic violence. After winning the title of Miss Indiana in June 2010, soprano Gabrielle Reed had the opportunity to promote her personal platform "Empowerment from the Start; Communities Preventing Domestic Violence," by speaking in schools and to domestic violence organizations throughout Indiana. Interest in her platform was sparked by her personal experiences with domestic violence and advocacy work at Middle Way House in Bloomington, Indiana. She will graduate this spring from the Jacob’s School of Music at Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance. In January 2011, Reed competed for the title of Miss America, receiving special recognition for her performance of "You'll Never Walk Alone" in the talent portion of the competition. She was also a recipient of the President’s Call to Service Award for her 4,000+ hours of community service in women's advocacy.

Reed continues to be an advocate for all victims of domestic violence and continues to speak out against violence throughout the state of Indiana.  In the summer of 2011, she shot a public service announcement for WTHR-TV, Channel 13, of Indianapolis' "Shattering the Silence" campaign. While her compassion and advocacy for domestic violence victims will always remain a priority in her life, she is also active in speaking out about the importance of music and the arts in our schools and communities. While Reed specializes in classical music and American songbook, she has been active in many projects ranging from theater to new music, and is always looking for new projects to tackle.

The Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc., is a catalyst to connect people who care with causes that improve the quality of life in our community by advancing cultural, educational and social opportunities, while preserving our community’s heritage and helping donors to create a permanent legacy in Dearborn County. For more information about DCF, visit our website at www.dearborncf.org.