Woman of Spirit Award

The 2023 WOMAN OF SPIRIT Award Luncheon

Wednesday, October 18, 2023 @ noon

Michelangelo Events & Conference Centre

The 2023 Woman of Spirit Award luncheon will be held at the Michelangelo Events & Conference Centre, located at 1555 Upper Ottawa Street.  There is ample free parking available. If you are using public transit take the #22 Upper Ottawa bus. 

Following a delicious meal there will be a tribute to Eileen Vollick with a guest speaker from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and then the presentation of the Woman of Spirit Award.  The recipient of the award will have $500 donated to the non-profit organization of her choice by Scotiabank. 

Tickets to the luncheon are $60 each and must be ordered by October 10, 2023.

 E-transfer to: WCCofHamilton@gmail.com

Mail cheque made payable to the Women’s Canadian Club of Hamilton to:
18 Adler Avenue     Hamilton  ON     L8W 3C3

The Nominees for the 2023 Woman of Spirit Award

Brenda Duke is the visionary and founder of Beautiful Alleys and is a tireless advocate in her keeping our community and city clean and green. She is truly a shining example of what can be accomplished by a small group of people. Brenda inspires and organizes volunteers with multiple programs and projects such as the Team Up to Clean Up program, community gardens, pollinator gardens and the Adopt-A-Park program.

Wilamina McGrimmond serves as a spiritual healer, warrior for missing and murdered women and girls, and also an advocate for Indigenous issues in Canada. Wilamina is known for her creativity through her sewing classes and designs she creates for herself and others.Wilamina is also the organizer of Spirit Bear Drummers, a group of Indigenous drummers who performs in and around the Hamilton area.

Joyce Treez since 2014 has managed Teddy Bears for Tots which has hosted events to suport its mission of presenting teddy bears to young children and infants in McMaster Childrens Hospital.  For the past several years, because of restrictions imposed during the COVID pandemic, they sadly have been inactive.  In 2022 the “WIN” (Women In Need) program was included.  Teddy Bears for Tots are diligently working to invlove communities to support their mission benefitting moms and their children. 

This year we honour Eileen Vollick as we celebrate Women’s History Month.

 On 13 March 1928 at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Miss Eileen M. Vollick passed her flight test in a Curtiss JN-4 Canuck, and was issued license number 77.  She was the first woman licensed as a pilot in Canada. 

To learn more about Eileen, and read a letter penned by her click here.

Congratulations to Charaya Thach, recipient of the 2022 Woman of Spirit Award!

Born in South Vietnam, Charaya and her family were part of a wave of refugees who left  Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s. After enduring a harrowing journey with her family to escape  Vietnam, Charaya spent years in a refugee camp in Thailand before immigrating to Canada at  age 10. Today, she makes her home in Hamilton, has a successful career in the finance industry,  and volunteers her time as the Chair of the YWCA Hamilton Board of Directors. Despite the  many twists and turns in her journey – or, perhaps because of them – Charaya is determined to  give back, to help others, and to build Hamilton.

Charaya began her relationship with YWCA Hamilton after being invited to join the Board of  Directors.  As the face of the #WomenBuildHamilton campaign, Charaya is playing an instrumental role in raising the necessary funds to build and sustain the Putman Family YWCA, which will be a transformational community hub and women-led supportive community in Hamilton. Charaya has seen first-hand how meaningful it is for residents to move into their new homes at the Putman Family YWCA and she says, “I can’t help  but see myself reflected in the families moving in. My hope is that someday, there will be a  little Charaya living there – and that the Putman Family YWCA will be the home where she  blooms.” 

We gratefully acknowledge the continued support of our sponsors: