Difference Makers to Be Honored at Gala on March 31 at the Log Cabin
Circle the Date
Kate Campiti says there are many enjoyable assignments that are part of BusinessWest’s Difference Makers program, which was launched in 2009.
However, she would not put the process of selecting a given year’s honorees in that category.
“That’s always the most difficult part of this,” she said. “There are always dozens of interesting, very compelling nominations,” said Campiti, the magazine’s associate publisher. “The groups and individuals are all making a difference in the community. We could practically choose any of those who were nominated.
“Our assignment, if you will, is to select nominees who can help us show the many, many ways in which a group or individual can make a difference within this community,” she went on, “while also allowing us to tell some very interesting, very inspiring stories.”
The members of the class of 2016, as chosen recently by the editors and publishers of the magazine, do just that, she added.
Without offering any specifics — the honorees will be profiled in the Jan. 25 edition of the magazine — Campiti said the stories, mostly well-known, but some less than others — are compelling and certainly add to the impressive list of groups of individuals honored since the first gala was staged at the Log Cabin in the spring of 2009.
“Previous honorees range from college presidents and chancellors to the directors of nonprofit agencies; from the founder of Rays of Hope to the brain trusts behind Link to Libraries; from those who help provide housing for those less fortunate to those who ride bicycles to raise funds for cancer research,” she said. “The stories are different, but there is a common thread — people devoting time, energy, and imagination to the challenge of bettering quality of life for people in this region.
“And this year’s class of honorees certainly honors that tradition,” she went on, adding that March 31 at the Log Cabin will be a night to remember.
Tickets for the event are $65 per person, with tables of 10 available, and can be purchased by calling (413) 781-8600, ext. 100. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Fast Facts
What: BusinessWest’s annual Difference Makers program
When: Profiles of the honorees will be published in the Jan. 25 edition; the annual gala is set for March 31
Where: The gala will be at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke
For More Information: Call (413) 781-8600
