The Women Against MS Luncheon, one of the National MS Society's premier fundraising campaigns, is an empowering way for women to unite with women in the movement to create a world free of MS.
Three women honored at seventh annual Women Against MS Luncheon
Presented by sanofi aventis
The Greater Delaware Valley Chapter’s Woman of Spirit Award recognizes women who have shown outstanding leadership skills and an unparalleled commitment to making our community a better place to live.
Honorees:
Romona Riscoe Benson, President and CEO, African American Museum in Philadelphia, for her leadership in the African-American community and the MS movement.
Benson has been recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as one of the city’s most influential African-Americans. She uses her influence to help raise awareness of MS in the black community through her involvement with the Women Against MS movement and by speaking openly about the challenges of living with MS.
Benson doesn’t let living with MS stop her from making her mark on Philadelphia. Under her leadership, the once-struggling African American Museum has thrived. It soon will unveil its new core exhibit, “Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia 1776 – 1876.”
Cindy Bertrando, Partner, KPMG, for her dedication to fundraising for vital programs, services and research through Walk MS and her support of women professionals at KPMG.
Bertrando co-founded KPMG’s Network of Women Philadelphia chapter. She promotes work-life balance and mentoring to the accounting firm’s young women employees and has been an integral part of reducing female turnover and increasing promotion rates at the firm. She also is a member of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania Women’s Initiative, devoted to supporting adolescent girls.
Bertrando captains KPMG’s Walk MS team, which has grown to more than 100 walkers, thanks to her dedication and commitment. With her encouragement, KPMG has become one of the top teams and sponsors at the Philadelphia Walk MS site, raising more than $10,000 each year through grassroots fundraising efforts, plus a generous corporate contribution. Bertrando has also cycled in several MS fundraising events.
Estelle B. Richman, Pennsylvania Secretary of Public Welfare, for her commitment to supporting people with disabilities in the Commonwealth, including women living with MS.
As Secretary of Public Welfare, Richman is responsible for protecting the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, including people living with disabilities, a role she championed previously as Director of Social Services for the City of Philadelphia. She challenges those around her to judge their success by quality, rather than quantity, and envisions the creation of a more holistic and user-friendly approach to service delivery.
More than 9,000 women - our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends - are living with MS in the Greater Delaware Valley. The Women Against MS Luncheon brought over 500 people together to alleviate their challenges, celebrate their successes and build a caring, supportive community.
Funds raised through this event are dedicated to services and programs for local people living with MS, in addition to worldwide research into the cause, cure and treatment of the disease.
For more information, contact Kristina Fransel at wams@pae.nmss.org or (215) 271-1500.
Thank you to our corporate sponsor:
