Town & Country and Longines Partnered For the Third Annual “Women Who Make A Difference Awards̶...

Town&Country magazine and Longines, the Swiss watch company, partnered for the third time in as many years to celebrate extraordinary women who have made an impact on children’s lives.

The third annual “Longines Women Who Make a Difference” awards honored three individuals, nominated either by their peers or themselves, who have changed the lives of children.  They were recognized at an elegant awards dinner at Hearst Tower in New York City on September 7^th hosted by tennis legend, philanthropist, and Longines ambassador Stefanie Graf and Town&Country SVP/Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Valerie Salembier.  As part of the honor, the organizations of the three honorees will be featured in the magazine’s February 2012 issue.

“We look forward to honoring these three women whose work has bettered the lives of countless children,” notes Salembier.  “Town&Country has long covered the philanthropic efforts of our readers; we are pleased to partner again with Longines on this important initiative.”

In addition to gifting each honoree a watch, Longines is also donating on behalf of each attendee to the charity of their choice. Guests could choose among Miracle Flights for Kids, Young Women’s Leadership Network, and Recipe for Success.

“Longines is proud to partner with Town&Country magazine in recognizing these extraordinary women who have made great strides in improving the lives of many children.  We are honored to present the awards to Ann McGee, Gracie Cavnar, and Ann Tisch in appreciation for all their efforts in their communities,” said Jennifer Judkins, US Brand President for Longines.

The 2011 “Longines Women Who Make a Difference” award recipients were:

• Ann McGee, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, Miracle Flights for Kids: As a former special education teacher, Ann McGee is dedicated to improving healthcare for children stricken with disabilities and debilitating diseases. She recognized that these children’s illnesses may differ, but their stories are all the same: they need proper, urgent medical attention to give them a chance at life.

Ann McGee founded Miracle Flights for Kids, a non-profit organization that coordinates flights for low-income children and their families to travel to medical treatment centers across the United States. Miracle Flights for Kids gives children access to the best doctors and specialists and permits hassle-free travel for families seeking long distance medical care.

To date, Miracle Flights for kids has coordinated over 68,000 flights and provided over 36 million miles of free access to healthcare for America’s families. Through these miracle missions, Ann McGee has been steadfast in her belief that money should never stand in the way of children getting to the best possible medical treatment – no matter how far away it might be. www.Miracleflights.org

• Ann Tisch, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, Young Women’s Leadership Network: In 1996, Ann Tisch partnered with the New York City Board of Education and the Center for Educational Innovation to open the first all-girls school in the United States in thirty years, The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of East Harlem. Now with five high-performing TYWLS public schools in New York City and Philadelphia, serving more than 2,000 students, the Young Women’s Leadership Network is at the forefront of the nation’s school reform movement, providing a dynamic educational experience for inner city students in urban public school systems. Through leadership development and academic programs, including the College Bound Initiative, Ann Tisch has created a single-sex school system that encourages young women to raise their expectations and engage in responsible decision-making for their future.

Admission into TYWLS public schools is available to all female students who have a desire to learn and succeed, regardless of previous academic performance or monetary restrictions. The flagship school, TYWLS of East Harlem, is in the top 4% of New York City high schools (New York Post, August 2009) and 100% of TYWLS of East Harlem’s Class of 2010 graduates were accepted to college.www.ywlnetwork.org

• Gracie Cavnar, FOUNDER AND CEO, Recipe for Success: More than thirty percent of America’s children are overweight and suffering from the effects of obesity. In an effort to fight the rising epidemic of childhood obesity, Gracie Cavnar founded Recipe for Success, a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the way children understand, appreciate and eat their food.

Recipe for Success strives to steer children of low-income communities away from processed and fast foods by implementing experiential, hands-on learning programs that make eating healthy food fun and enjoyable.

What started as a monthly class in Houston’s elementary schools eventually grew to include an after-school program, summer camp, parent classes and community outreach. Today, with professional staff and volunteer assistance from sixty of Houston’s finest chefs, Recipe for Success delivers its signature Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ monthly, weekly or daily programs to 3,050 students in six elementary Showcase Schools within the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and many hundreds more in Recipe for Success Affiliate Schools and community centers.www.Recipe4success.org

To be considered for the “Longines Women Who Make a Difference” award, participants were asked to submit either a 200-word essay or a five-minute video detailing why their nominee is a “Woman Who Makes a Difference.”  The nominees were collected by Town&Country, and the three honorees were chosen by a panel of judges from the magazine and Longines.  The nomination period began on April 12, when the May issue hit newsstands, and ended on July 26.  Promotional advertisements for the “Longines Women Who Make a Difference” awards ran in the May, June/July and August issues.  Additionally, information was posted on the magazine’s Web site, www.townandcountrymag.com/realwomen, and also on the Web site for Longines,   http://shop.us.longines.com.

Like Haute Living New York? Join our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @HauteLivingNY. Want Haute Living New York delivered to your inbox once a week? Sign up for our newsletter.