Submitted Photo Pictured (Left) is Amanda Perdue, YWCA Westfield Director of Finance and Operations, and (right) is Stephanie Stevens YWCA Westfield Executive Director and President of YWCA New York State. The YWCA of Westfield will be holding it’s first Women of Distinction Gala on Oct. 19.

WESTFIELD — Young Women’s Christian Association of Westfield will be holding their first Women of Distinction Gala, set to honor local women who champion the mission of YWCA Westfield.

The criteria for the women nominated to be honored at the gala includes: noted, sustained success within their professional field or area of expertise, demonstrated commitment to the broader community through time, talent and treasure, and champion the mission of YWCA Westfield through their actions and activities.

The mission of YWCA is envisioning a world of opportunity and being committed to the work of racial justice. The organization is focused on getting the world to see women and people of color as equal, powerful and unstoppable.

The idea for the gala came from a similar event that has happened in the past.

“There are 19 YWCAs throughout New York State and I am the president of the YWCA for New York State,” Westfield YWCA executive director, Stephanie Stevens, said. “As president I go around to the big events happening at the different YWCAs and they have all done something similar to this. We used to do something to honor women on a smaller scale in the past and I thought it was time to bring that back and make it a part of what we do statewide.”

Stevens has been with the YWCA in Westfield for the past five years and while she has not done something like this event before, it is not the first time for the organization, just the first time in a long time.

The Women of Distinction Gala will take place on Thursday Oct. 19 at Chautauqua Institution’s Athenaeum Hotel — 3 South Lake Drive. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m. and the dinner and awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. The Master of Ceremonies will be Doc Hamels, host of Chautauqua Sunrise.

Honorees at the gala include; Helen Baran, Emma Busuladzic, Wendy Civiletto, Marilyn Hemmer, Stacy Holand, and Kathy Mazza. Busuladzic is the youth nominee for the year and has been very involved in the Westfield community.

“Emma is wonderful,” Stevens said. “She has volunteered at the YWCA for many years and is always ready to help. She is a leader in the community, always eager and ready to learn and jump in.”

Stevens said Busuladzic is a good example of a young woman who fits the criteria of the nominees and that her name came up immediately when she approached the school, looking for a youth nominee.

At the event, Stevens said people should expect to hear from the sponsors of the awards who will present on each nominee, then hear from the nominees and the board of directors and Stevens.

Tickets are still available for the gala. They are available at the Westfield YWCA — 58 South Portage Street — which is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased at ywcawestfield.org or by seeking out Stevens or a board member.

Stevens said this gala means a lot to not only the YWCA, but for women across the world.

“The YWCA Westfield is more than a building,” Stevens said. “We’ve been here 138 years. We have a before and after school program. We work to let women get out into the world and provide child care so that they know that their child is being taken care of.”

The YWCA is a national program with over 200 locations in the United States. Stevens said they have helped to raise money for Ukraine at the start of the war and are always doing similar things.

“When you buy a ticket for the gala or donate you are helping women all over the world,” Stevens said. “We help women here, across the US and across the world. This is bigger than just a gala and a dinner and getting an award.”