International Women’s Day (IWD) returns for a fifth year in Fernie, and encourages all women from throughout the Elk Valley to come and take part. Stay for a half hour massage or enjoy the whole day of 10+ workshops and speakers, and a wonderful hearty lunch. Celebrate with your sisters, daughters, mothers and friends.

Goddess Rising will take place at the Community Centre, Saturday, March 11 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Workshops will be hosted by a variety of women, like Jana Wenzlawe of CrossFit Fernie, about the importance of strength training for women, or Jodi Nesbitt teaching an Introduction to Photography, and makeup artist Leah Wilkie from Decoro Portraits teaching how to apply natural looking makeup.

There will be cake decorating as well as a permaculture workshop and a session highlighting the importance of seed saving. We have a life coach helping us to get in touch with Our Sexy Selves, and published writer Shelby Cain will be hosting a writing workshop that incorporates music. Several more workshops are still to be announced with the highly successful pampering dates from last year. Registration for workshops and pampering dates is open online.

Goddess Rising is a not-for-profit event that is organized by two local women who wanted to give back to their community and bring women together in a day of celebration. The event is free, but entrance donations and silent auction profits go towards the very successful female specific scholarship, that was launched in 2015, for graduating young women who reside in the valley. In the first year the event funded scholarships worth $2,000 awarded to three local girls, in 2016 this increased to $4,500.

Grade 12 girls who apply need to bring their application forms in person to the event on March 11.

“We are incredibly excited to be celebrating our fifth annual event, back in 2013 we had no idea that this event was going to become such an important celebration for our community. We will be having cake to celebrate this milestone so please be sure to join us on the day. We are so very grateful to all the individuals and business owners who help to support this event by giving their time, as well as the donations for the silent auction,” said co-organizer Tanya Malcolm.

Pre-registration for all workshops and pampering dates are encouraged as many sell out ahead of time. The event is free (by donation at door) with all workshops free, and pampering sessions by donation. A healthy and hearty $8 lunch will be served and can be purchased on the day. www.goddessrisingfernie.com.

IWD was founded in 1910 and now takes place in countries throughout the world with thousands of events on every continent and a global collective of women taking part. It was designed as a strategy to promote equal rights and suffrage for women.

Gloria Steinem said: “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”

For more information about Goddess Rising or the scholarship contact Rachel Cline, on 250-946-6322 or www.goddessrisingfernie.com or https://www.facebook.com/GoddessRising

Issued on behalf of Goddess Rising by Rachel Cline and Tanya Malcolm

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