Susie Istock
4 April 2007

CONTACTS:

Marta Bennett

Director-Elect External Communications

Junior League of Boston

617-429-4799, mb561@yahoo.com

Elisabeth Edelman

Public Relations Consultant for AJLI

212-242-9353×120, eedelman@laforce-stevens.com

AJLI CELEBRATES THE POWER OF WOMEN VOLUNTEERS

IN BOSTON APRIL 18-22, 2007

 85th Annual Association of Junior Leagues International Conference Provides Forum for Women Volunteer Leaders from Four Countries; Keynote Speakers to Include Ambassador Swanee Hunt and Marian Heard, CEO of Oxen Hill Partners

(April 4, 2007) Boston, MA – The power of women’s volunteer leadership and the ability to transform local communities through voluntarism will be the focus of the 85th Annual Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) Conference held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place from April 18-22, 2007. More than 700 delegates from Junior Leagues in four countries will gather to share ideas, recognize accomplishments and develop leadership skills – all focused on the Junior League mission of providing volunteer support to local communities.

“For more than one hundred years the Junior League has been a powerful training ground for women leaders who are committed to making their communities better, safer and healthier places to live,” said Sandi Kemmish, 2006-2008 AJLI President. “Providing training and recognizing members’ accomplishments at our Annual Conference lets us further build the integral role women play in strengthening social services, raising awareness of key issues and funding important community initiatives.”

Highlights of this year’s conference include keynote addresses by Ambassador Swanee Hunt, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria and Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and Ms. Marian Heard, President and CEO of the nationally renowned Leadership Development organization, Oxen Hill Partners. In addition, AJLI will present an estimated $90,000 in awards to Junior Leagues in recognition for programs focusing on collaboration, volunteer training and community impact.

Award sponsors include The Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., Talbots and Favorite Recipes Press (FRP); event sponsors include Pria Powerbar, Lean Cuisine, Emer’gen-C and Spanx. Other highlights of the conference are workshops on topics ranging from growing leaders through service to being a civic leader to strategic fund development, as well as exhibits from numerous nonprofit organizations.

One of the most prestigious awards, The Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award, which is named after the founder of the Junior League Movement, recognizes one Junior League member whose ability to motivate volunteers, overcome challenges and create positive change as an

inspiration to women everywhere. Past recipients have included the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice; Martha Rivers Ingram, chairman of Ingram Industries, Inc.; and former Missouri State Senator Betty Sims. This year’s award will be presented at a Friday, April 20 luncheon, underwritten by Talbots.

“We are very pleased to host this conference as we celebrate our 100 years of service to our community. The Junior League of Boston has helped build a stronger, better Bostoncommunity with the 120-plus community programs we have started and supported and the thousands of volunteer hours our members provide each year,” said Kirby Lunger, President of the JL of Boston. “As the second-oldest chapter of the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc., we are celebrating our long heritage of service to the Boston community.”

The Association of Junior Leagues International also updated the initiative’s website,http://kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org, to include an engaging new look and feel, an interactive nutrition game, bilingual materials and other interactive resources for children and parents. The 85th Annual Association of Junior Leagues International Conference provides a time to spotlight the widespread impact of the network of 293 Junior Leagues’ volunteer efforts. One current example is the ongoing Association-wide initiative, Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen,which addresses the growing issues surrounding childhood obesity and poor nutrition. To kick off this initiative’s second year, more than 245 Junior League chapters conducted local events during National Nutrition Month (March) in the U.S. and Canada. Some of the events were part of year-long programs, all were designed to teach children and their families about healthy nutrition and lifestyles.

About AJLI

Founded in 1901 by New Yorker Mary Harriman, the Junior Leagues are organizations of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Association of Junior Leagues International is made up of 293 Junior Leagues in four countries. Together, we are one of the largest international volunteer organizations for women interested in making a positive impact in their communities. For more information, visit our website www.ajli.org.

A member of AJLI, the Junior League of Boston is an organization of 1,200 women committed to carrying out the AJLI mission through community-based initiatives. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. For more information, visit the JLB web site at www.jlboston.org.

NOTE TO EDITORS: To attend one of the keynote speaker sessions or the Mary Harriman Community Leadership Luncheon, contact: Elizabeth Tyminski, 617-875-3516 or etyminiski@yahoo.com.