The Board of Directors of the distinguished Woman of Great Esteem (WGE) Organization is pleased to announce that the 17th annual staging of the prestigious Women of Great Esteem Emerald Awards will take place at the New York Ritz Carlton at Battery Park, 2 West Street in New York City on Saturday, May 4th 2013 at 7pm. “We are excited to be hosting our 17th annual Emerald Awards at the Ritz Carlton,” says Jamaican born WGE founder, Bishop Sylveta Hamilton-Gonzales, “We’ve also moved our date from the last Saturday in March to the first Saturday in May.” “This year’s red carpet affair honors women from Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Dominica, Jamaica and the US,” she added and “begins promptly at 7pm with a Champagne Hour followed by the Awards Ceremony and Dinner at 8pm.”
The Woman of Great Esteem 2013 honorees represent women who develop and advance their communities without regard for race, ethnicity, religiosity, gender, age or national origin in the areas of education, finance, business and health care. 2013 Honoree Joyce Gilman will receive the Humanitarian award; Sabrina HoSang, born in the US but identifies as a Jamaican, will receive the Entrepreneur award; Jean Joseph representing the island of Dominica will receive the Finance award; Dr. Duranda Greene, Cheryl Packwood and Gita Blackeney Saltus from the island of Bermuda and will receive the Education, Business and Business/Entertainment award respectively.
Bishop Gonzales points out that, “The Emerald Award is a vehicle used for the empowerment of women, honoring them for their relentless efforts to nurture and serve their communities.” To date, the organization has honored over 150 women from twenty-seven countries from North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Central America.
Honoree, Sabrina HoSang, daughter of Jamaican entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Vincent HoSang, owner of Caribbean Food Delights is the Chief Operating Officer of Caribbean Food Delights and has served in that capacity since 2001. “I am honored to receive this prestigious award and to be considered a Woman of Great Esteem,” said Sabrina, “My Mom received the award in 2006 and it shows that I’m following in her footsteps.”
The Women of Great Esteem Emerald Award was founded in 1995 by Brooklyn based, Bishop Sylveta Hamilton – Gonzales, as a vision to recognize the increasing contribution of women who have excelled beyond normal expectations in a multi-cultural society. The annual event is a fundraiser for MACADEMY, School of Science and Technology in Brooklyn. Bishop Gonzales has recognized women from around the world in various fields of endeavor from politics to medicine to education.
