Traditional Home to Honor Volunteerism

October 1, 2014  by in Designer Weekly   

The awards recognize women who shine with the spirit of volunteerism. The five honorees are:

• Simone Bernstein of St. Louis, Mo., founded VolunTEEN Nation, an online clearinghouse that connects teens nationwide with volunteer opportunities.
• Shira Greenberg of Albuquerque, N.M., founded Keshet Dance Company, which unites professional dancers with programs, institutions, and people to change lives through movement.
• Margaret Trost of Stinson Beach, Calif., launched the What If? Foundation, which feeds children in Haiti and also supports them with school tuition, an after-school program, and a summer camp.
• Linda J. Walder of New York, founded The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation to co-develop and fund deeply needed programs for adults living with autism. 
• Kathy Witkowicki of Sonoma, Calif., founded the Stand By Me Mentoring Program to tutor and mentor at-risk children in Sonoma Valley.

Hosted by Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer, the special gala will also include the magazine’s first-ever Lifetime Achievement and Design Trailblazer awards, presented to design icon Mario Buatta and digital entrepreneur Michael Bruno, respectively.

Television legend Barbara Walters of ABC News will present Buatta with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Walters is the creator of The Barbara Walters Specials and creator, co-owner, and executive producer of ABC Daytime’s The View. She is also a New York Times best-selling author.

Emmy Award-winning anchor and correspondent Chuck Scarborough of NBC 4 New York will present Michael Bruno, founder of 1stdibs, which revolutionized the world of online luxury shopping, with the magazine’s Design Trailblazer Award.

The honorees of the Classic Woman Awards will be featured in the November/December issue of Traditional Home. The 2014 honorees were nominated by Traditional Home readers from across the country; the magazine’s editors and a panel of judges then hand-picked the women who are changing the world.

Sponsors for the awards program include Henredon, Hickory Chair, Karastan, Kravet and Sunbrella.