A special event will take place later this week. The Young Women’s Christian Association of Westfield will be holding its first Women of Distinction Gala, set to honor area women who champion the mission of YWCA.

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. “There are 19 YWCAs throughout New York state and I am the president of the YWCA for New York State,” said Stephanie Stevens, Westfield YWCA executive director. “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.”

Honorees at this year’s event will be Helen Baran, Emma Busuladzic, Wendy Civiletto, Marilyn Hemmer, Stacy Holland, and Kathy Mazza.

The Women of Distinction Gala will take place this Thursday 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. For more information, reach out to the Westfield YWCA — 58 South Portage St., which is open from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased at ywcawestfield.org.