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More than 350 people—a record!—gathered at Liberty Hall in Kimberly on Sunday evening, November 4, for ESTHER’s 15th annual banquet. The room was full, and overflowed with an amazing spirit. During the program, ESTHER recognized Lisa Hanneman for her Individual Leadership in prison reform work, focusing on medication reform at the Outagamie County Jail (story here). Mayor Tim Hanna and Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Karen Nelson accepted the Community Leadership award for bringing the national Dignity & Respect Campaign to Appleton (story here).
Keynote speaker Leonard Pitts, Jr., in a powerful and personal talk covering racism, immigration, the #MeToo movement, and our hope for change, challenged us to act, but first to listen. The Appleton Post-Crescent covered the event in a story you can find here.
ESTHER is particularly grateful for the generous support provided by the 2018 banquet sponsors – the William J. and Barbara A. Schmidt Family Foundation and John Schroeder – which made it possible for ESTHER to bring Leonard Pitts, Jr., to Appleton again, and for dozens of people to attend the banquet as guests of ESTHER.
Big, big thanks to Banquet Committee members Trish Brehm, Chris Calhoun (chair), Sara Companik, Sheryl De Hart, Joan Jensen, Joanne Swoboda and Bill Van Lopik, whose hard work and dedication deserve major credit for the quality of the banquet this year.
