Ashley Judd Keynote Speaker at 14th Annual Power of the Purse ® Luncheon
The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Hosts Celebrated Actress, Humanitarian at Annual Event
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Actress and humanitarian Ashley Judd will address the 14th annual Power of the Purse ® Luncheon on Monday, April 9, 2012, at the Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville. The event is a fundraiser for The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which is dedicated to supporting area nonprofits serving Middle Tennessee women and girls in need.
Judd is best known for her celebrated and acclaimed performances in both box office hits and independent films, including Double Jeopardy, Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, and De-Lovely. She is also recognized as a dedicated activist and has traveled the world in support of programs that focus on poverty alleviation, public health, human rights, and social justice.
Each year, The Power of the Purse® luncheon brings prominent women from across the country to Middle Tennessee to celebrate women and giving in the community. The event includes a silent auction of more than 100 donated purses, the luncheon and keynote address. Proceeds support The Women’s Fund and its annual grantmaking to local nonprofits. Tickets for the luncheon and more information can be found at www.thewomensfund.com or www.cfmt.org.
“Ashley Judd’s remarkable film career and humanitarian endeavors have inspired and advanced the well-being of countless women across the world, and we are honored she will be speaking at this year’s event,” said Elizabeth Broyhill, co-chair of The Power of the Purse® luncheon.
Judd actively supports a number of charitable organizations, ranging from Women for Women International, Women Thrive Worldwide and Sierra Club to Tennessee Refugee and Immigration Reform Committee, Heifer International, and more.
Her advocacy has allowed her to serve as a panelist and moderator at conferences such as the Clinton Global Initiative and the Women Deliver Conference. She has also spoken at the General Assembly of the United Nations about the modern slave trade and testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the urgent need to prevent the spread of HIV to girls and women.
Along with Judd’s cinematic accomplishments, she has performed on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize winning play, Picnic, and the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Her bestselling memoir “All That Is Bitter and Sweet” was released in April 2011. Judd is a recent graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Judd and her husband Dario Franchitti make their home at their farm in Middle Tennessee and Franchitti's native Scotland.
“By hosting women such as Ashley Judd, we not only raise money to support an important cause for the Middle Tennessee community, we also honor the achievements of women across the U.S.,” said Susan Tyler, co-chair of The Power of the Purse® luncheon.
The purse, a symbol of women’s capacity for philanthropy, has become an emblem central to this event. At the luncheon, a silent auction will feature unique purses donated by retailers, community members, celebrities and prominent women. Attendees will take home the 2012 A Celebration of Women pictorial tribute book, which has been re-designed to reflect a modern aesthetic contemporary design featuring the work of acclaimed Nashville photographer Ashley Hylbert. Proceeds from the luncheon, auction and tribute book support the Fund’s mission.
Since its inaugural year, The Power of the Purse® luncheon has helped raise more than $1 million for The Women’s Fund, enabling the Fund to award grants to hundreds of Middle Tennessee nonprofits addressing needs from prevention of violence against women and girls to achievement of economic self-sufficiency.
To learn more about The Women’s Fund and The Power of the Purse® Luncheon and A Celebration of Women tribute book, visit www.thewomensfund.com, or contact Liza Lentz at llentz@cfmt.org or 615-321-4939.
About The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee provides grants to nonprofit organizations serving the interests of women and girls through education, health and human services, victim’s support services, domestic violence intervention, drug rehabilitation, and job training. Past recipient organizations include American Association of Refugee & Immigrant Women, Domestic Violence Intervention Center, and Renewal House, among others. Visit www.thewomensfund.com for more information.
About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee oversees more than 800 charitable funds, providing customized philanthropic solutions with flexibility for donors, nonprofit organizations and the community. In the past 20 years, The Community Foundation has distributed more than $540 million to community programs and institutions. It is located at 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, #400, Nashville, Tennessee 37215. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.
# # #