DENISE BROWN TO SPEAK AT COLUMBIA SHELTER FUNDRAISER

Denise Brown, sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, will speak Saturday, March 4, at 12:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, as part of the Women for Women Weekend being held to benefit The shelter for battered and abused women in Columbia.

The Women for Women Weekend, to be conducted March 3 and 4, will provide a variety of educational and networking opportunities as well as informative sessions on women's health issues. The event will include seminars, workshops, an arts reception and a marketplace featuring women's goods and services.

Brown is speaking at the event in return for a donation to the Nicole Brown Simpson Foundation, a national organization founded to help battered and abused women.

"When planning the weekend, we hoped to attract a well-known keynote who could speak personally about domestic violence," said Mitzi St. John, a member of the Women for Women steering committee. "I believe Denise Brown will be a big draw for the weekend."

More than 40 speakers are scheduled to present information throughout the conference on topics including starting a small business, technology in the workplace, parenting, divorce, aging, financial planning and empowerment, among others.

Tickets for both days are $79 in advance or $89 at the door.