Students attend Women Helping Women luncheon

Thanks to the George and Dorothy Gies Foundation, 19 young women from Odessa High School had the opportunity to attend the Women Helping Women Luncheon in Spokane. The keynote speaker, Elizabeth Smart, inspired everyone to overcome adversity and live life to its fullest even after tragedy strikes. Elizabeth spoke of her abduction in 2002 at 14 years old. Her captors controlled her by threatening to kill her and her family if she tried to escape. The police safely retuned her to her family nine months later after she was spotted on a Salt Lake City street.

Elizabeth testified before her captors and the world about the very private nightmare she suffered, which led to her abductors' convictions.

Elizabeth is now involved in promoting child-safety legislation. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University and was married in January.

Since it was founded in 1992, the Women Helping Women Fund has raised over 5.4 million dollars to help women in need in the Spokane area with education, mentoring, health and child care. Its mission is to support healthy families and vibrant communities.

“Odessa High School was honored to have the privilege of attending,” said their chaperone Terri King.