An evening focused on women's health, Women's Giving Circle hosted annual meeting Thursday night
(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Above, guests at the Whitley County Community Foundation's Women's Giving Circle annual meeting listen intently as local doctors answer health questions. Below, Dr. Jeffrey Gladd, left, and Dr. Kenneth Pennington, right, answer a question. At bottom, Whitley County Community Foundation executive director September McConnell comments on the recent achievements of the Women's Giving Circle.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Over canapés, chocolate dipped strawberries and mocktails, women with an interest in improving the health of Women in Whitley County came together collectively for the Whitley County Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle meeting Thursday night. 
Bright colors of pink, orange and green set the tone for an upbeat evening of discussion and discovery, with guests seated at tables hosted by Women’s Giving Circle steering committee members.
Whitley County Community Foundation executive director September McConnell welcomed the women (and a few men!), sharing the purpose and the history of the group. In the five years the program has been in existence, over 100 free mammograms had been given to women in need. While most of the mammogram certificates have been given by physicians, McConnell said the foundation office occasionally receives calls for them.
“When you get the shaky voice of an elderly man calling for his elderly wife, it really affects you,” McConnell said. Sometimes insurance won’t cover a mammogram because someone is too young – and they’ve given mammograms in that case as well. 
McConnell said the first gift to the Women’s Giving Circle was given by Dr. Grissom and since then, more than 1000 gifts have been given to the endowment.
“When we are all long gone, there will still be a Women’s Giving Circle fund dedicated to women’s health in Whitley County,” McConnell said. “And, God willing, breast cancer won’t be an issue then.”
While breast cancer has been a top concern of the Women’s Giving Circle since its inception, there are other issues on the minds of members and this year the circle expanded its focus by offering the popular Girls Rock program. The one-day workshop was geared at pre-teen girls and their mothers and focused on building self-esteem. In all, 127 participants attended the session and left with positive comments.
“Overwhelmingly, we’ve heard people crying out for more of this,” McConnell said. The steering committee voted recently to plan another self-esteem workshop for girls in March 2009.
McConnell said the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities and the annual Valentine’s Day card sale have been successful in supporting and spreading the word about the Women’s Giving Circle.
Recently, two groups have come forth in support of the Women’s Giving Circle– the Columbia City High School girls soccer team and the Eagle Glen Monday Night Ladies League golfers.
In July, the golfers held an outing in memory of two friends with proceeds in the amount of $4,100 supporting the Women’s Giving Circle. Several members of the group were in attendance Thursday evening and were recognized for their giving spirit in memory of friends.
Coach Bill Duffy, on behalf of the CCHS girls soccer program, talked to the Giving Circle about his team’s plans to bring attention to breast cancer awareness during a homecoming game in September. The girls will wear pink jerseys – a color that will appear heavily in the match – even on the opposing team.
Duffy said his recent visits with the Women’s Giving Circle steering committee and the Columbia City Rotary had been particularly helpful in gaining support for the project, including support to purchase pink jerseys, pink headbands for the opposing team, pink hats for the game officials and pink soccer balls.
Gregg Goewert, new CCHS principal, then spoke in support of Duffy’s initiative and said he hopes to find additional ways the school can show their commitment to awareness about breast cancer and the Women’s Giving Circle.
“We’re going to do everything we can to draw attention to the Giving Circle and to breast cancer awareness,” Goewert said. “We’re very proud of Coach Duffy and his team.”
Local physician Dr. Jeffrey Gladd and Goshen Cancer Center oncologist Dr. Kenneth Pennington each gave presentations about their areas of expertise as they pertain to women’s health and cancer, after which they answered questions from the audience covering a variety of topics from dietary supplements to questions about whether or not young girls should receive the new immunization for the human papilloma virus.
Dr. Gladd left the women with a few suggestions to address health in their lives. “Get your priorities straight,” Gladd said, “and focus on the things you can change.”
Gladd, a supporter of organics and whole foods, suggested that as part of an overall concern about what we put into our bodies, we should look at community supported agriculture as a means of finding nutritious foods and supporting local farmers.
Celebrating a larger than average turnout for the event, the steering committee’s efforts to tweak the event a little this year might have been responsible for the success. In prior years, the meeting has typically been a luncheon with a relatively small guest list. This year, steering committee members created their own guest lists and filled tables with women they felt might have an interest in women’s health and philanthropy.
Becoming a member of the Women’s Giving Circle requires only a gift to the fund. Gifts in any amount are appreciated and enable the fund to continue addressing women’s health needs in Whitley County.
For more information about the Women’s Giving Circle, contact the Whitley County Community Foundation at 244-5224.