atta girl awards
The Equipoise Fund created the Atta Girl Awards in the spirit of encouraging Wyoming women who inspire us. We hope that by highlighting the work of these wonderful women, they will inspire many other women and men across Wyoming. Mickey Babcock, Founder and President of the Equipoise Fund, says the awards give Wyoming women and girls a “butt-boost” for all the lives they lift.
2008 Atta Girl Award Winners Announced
Hope you were able to join us in Casper on April 25th, at the Spotlight on Wyoming Women event co-hosted by The Equipoise Fund and Equality Initiatives. The 2008 Atta Girl Award Winners were announced to a sell-out crowd at the Nicolaysen Art Museum. Our winners were presented with cash awards and a custom glass award created by Wilson artists Laurie Thal and Lia Kass. The evening was one to remember, as this was also the premiere for our documentary film, Don’t Fence Me In, and the kick-off for Equality Initiatives public awareness campaign.
But let’s talk about the Atta Girls!
The Vision Award, given to a deserving woman who sees the future in the eye of a dream, was presented to Linda Barton of Lander, for her passion in establishing the Wyoming Afterschool Alliance. She helped create quality after-school care so that children are safe and well cared for while their mothers make a living. Additionally, she represents Wyoming at the National Afterschool alliance. Her efforts in the legislature, as a citizen on behalf of Wyoming’s youth, have made our state a better place to be a kid, and she strives to improve her own community by serving on the Lander City Council. Her long-term vision has a long-lasting multiplier effect that is positive for every Wyoming citizen.
The Voice Award honors a deserving woman who gives a voice to those women who don’t have one. And we have a tie! Dona Playton of Laramie and Linda Fleming of Baggs share the Voice Award for their efforts on behalf of Wyoming women.
An advocate herself, Dona Playton also develops advocates through her work as director of the University of Wyoming Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project. Dona has helped judges and the courts better understand the effects of domestic violence by authoring the "Wyoming Domestic Violence Benchbook."
Linda Fleming is recognized for her breadth of experience as a teacher and role model, as a founding member of the Little Snake River Women's Empowerment Group and as a Carbon County Commissioner. Her students learn about Wyoming’s history and issues through active participation under her guidance.
The Visibility Award honors a deserving woman who recognizes opportunity in arenas not generally serving women. Dr. Ray Fleming Dinneen of Cheyenne, was honored for improving the lives of Wyoming’s working single mothers through the nationally recognized CLIMB Wyoming Program, which she founded in 1986 and currently directs. Her efforts put women into non-traditional jobs they wouldn’t otherwise occupy, increasing the visibility of women in industries across Wyoming. CLIMB was recently profiled in the New York Times and continues to be a boon to women across the state of Wyoming.
The Atta Girl Awards were created in the spirit of encouraging Wyoming women who inspire us. We hope that by highlighting the work of these wonderful women, they will inspire many other women and men across Wyoming.
Congratulations Atta Girls Linda, Dona, Linda and Ray!
ATTA BOY AWARDS
For the first time ever, The Equipoise Fund presented some Atta Boy Awards. Through our ongoing work, we realized that we have some “champions of women” in this state, and we thought it appropriate to thank them for their generous support in improving the lives of Wyoming’s women and girls.
T. Chris Muirhead, Donald E. Chapin and William L. McDowell of the Tate Foundation were honored as our first Atta Boys and presented with a $500 grant from The Equipoise Fund to donate to a Wyoming non-profit of their choosing. And subsequently, the Atta Boys have decided to donate their grant to the Wyoming Women’s Foundation. These three men saw great and early promise in the ideas that have become the cornerstones of Equality Initiatives, providing much needed funding early on. They truly understand the Equality Initiatives mission, that “What is good for Wyoming women is good for Wyoming communities.”
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