Locals, TV writer-producer to be honored by Zonta Club

Two area women will be honored next week for their achievements at the first Women of Achievement banquet hosted by the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau.

The banquet luncheon is at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 30 at the Osage Community Centre. Tickets are $20 and are still available by calling 339-5500.

The club has long recognized women who make major contributions to the area through volunteer and community service and professional contributions. But it's only this year that the club decided to present its "Women of Achievement" honor during a public banquet, said Maria Swan Childress, a member of the event's steering committee.

Since the club no longer is holding its annual fashion show, the banquet became a way to help raise money for local and international causes and give the award recipients more recognition, she said.

Nominees are Vernice Baumstark, D.D. Buerkle, Ruth Knote, Mary-Ann Maloney, Cheryl Mothes, Mary Spell, Marge Sullivan and Kathleen Wolz. U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson will serve as honorary chair of the event.

Also during the banquet, scholarship recipients will be honored. The Zonta Club gives two scholarships each year: one to a nontraditional student at Southeast Missouri State University and another to a woman studying in a health-related field at the Career and Technology Center.

But the award that has been getting much attention is the Celebration Award that's being presented to Linda Bloodworth Thomason, a television show creator and producer.

This award recognizes a woman whose unique achievements have helped her serve as a role model for other women. Bloodworth Thomason is a Poplar Bluff, Mo., native and former English teacher turned screenwriter. Though she has written for many different shows, it's her creation of the series "Designing Women" that has brought her the most attention. She's the first writer to complete 35 consecutive episodes for a single series. But it's Bloodworth Thomason's philanthropic contributions that grabbed Zonta's attention. Through three programs from her Claudia Foundation in Poplar Bluff, Bloodworth Thomason has helped put more than 100 women through college.

Childress said the Celebration Award is typically given to a woman who has given something back to the community.

Zonta sponsors several service projects including literacy efforts, the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence and the Safe House for Women.

All proceeds from the luncheon ticket sales will be used for community service projects.

Tickets are available by sending a $20 check to Zonta at P.O. Box 204; Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0204.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126