Calvin's June Hamersma To Be Honored

August 7, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

The Grand Rapids-based Women's Resource Center will honor June Hamersma,
director of the January Series at Calvin College, with its "Woman of E-Quality"
award at the 16th annual Women's Equality Day celebration and reception on
Wednesday, August 23 at the GVSU Eberhard Center.

She and DeDe Esque of the Nokomis Foundation will be the 2006 recipients of the
award in recognition of "their contributions to the community and the
inspiration they provide to others."

A networking reception to honor the 2006 award recipients will take place from
4:30 to 5:30 pm that day, immediately prior to 5:30 to 6:30 pm program which
will feature a short adaptation of the play " We Keep Coming," which spotlights
the countless numbers of Black women who played prominent and courageous roles
in support of the suffrage movement.

Sharon Caldwell-Newton, executive director of the Women's Resource Center, says
Hamersma is being honored for a commitment to the West Michigan community that
has touched countless lives over the past 30 years.

"Her impact stretches across all aspects of the community through her active
involvement with organizations in health, communications, education, the arts
and the church," she says. "June is the epitome of a great community leader,
utilizing her skills and sharing her talents to better the community and the
people who live here. She leads by example and is proof of the power of a woman
who is given equal access to opportunities."

Hamersma just announced this past spring that she will move on from her role as
director of the January Series at Calvin at the conclusion of the 2006-2007
school year. The 2007 edition of the January Series will mark Hamersma's 20th
year at the helm of the lecture series, which has been very successful under her
leadership.

Calvin president Gaylen Byker says Hamersma will be missed.

"June has been a great representative of Calvin and its Christian, liberal arts
mission," he says. "The January Series has become a vital and integral part of
each Calvin year and has provided the entire community with wonderful
intellectual sunshine in the middle of winter. June has been an inspiration and
a role model. We will miss her."

Hamersma also played a critical role in helping to realize the Hospice movement
in Grand Rapids. After serving on the Hospice of Michigan board of directors,
she moved on to further her support of Hospice by becoming the founding chair of
the Hospice of Michigan Foundation.

Along the way she has garnered a bevy of area awards, including The Art of
Giving Award by the Blodgett/Butterworth Health Care Foundation, the Tribute
Award for Arts and Communication from the YWCA of Grand Rapids and Communicator
of the Year, along with Calvin president Gaylen Byker, for her work as co-chair
with Byker of the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibition hosted by Calvin a year
ago.

Since 1973, the Women's Resource Center, a non-profit women's organization, has
helped West Michigan women to develop strategies for work and skills for life.

Contact Megan Taliaferro at 616-458-5443, x14 or mtaliaferro@grwrc.org
For more on the WRC see www.grwrc.org
For more on Hamersma see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/hamersma.htm

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Received on Mon Aug 7 12:02:00 2006