At their January membership meeting, members of the Zonta Club of Miami Lakes proudly joined Zonta International and Zonta Clubs all over the world in celebrating one of its most famous members – Amelia Earhart.
This year, the Miami Lakes Zontians celebrated the world famed aviator and first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean by performing a skit that reenacted key areas of her life and accomplishments.
Earhart was an active member of Zonta, and Zonta International has honored her memory since 1938 by awarding 1,403 Amelia Earhart Fellowships totaling $8.3 million to nearly 1,000 women from 68 countries.
The Miami Lakes Zonta Club held its annual remembrance of Amelia Earhart by the home of Dr. Ruth Schobel who played the reporter who interviewed Earhart, portrayed by Helen Brown. Jan Hammond, Sally Whitton, Cathie Inman and Peggy Hicks participated as members of the press and inquired of Earhart about her love of flying, and how she afforded flying lessons in a time when women rarely had control of their own finances.
Zonta members learned that Earhart earned enough from the sale of her book, “20 Hours and 40 minutes,” to buy her own plane which she named “Avian Moth.”
Earhart was also active with the Red Cross and in helping to bring attention to the right of women to vote. The skit ended with a presentation of a key to Miami Lakes to the great aviator and champion for women, Amelia Earhart.
The Miami Lakes Zonta Club is currently seeking sponsors for its signature fundraising event, Claws for Celebration, scheduled for April 26. Proceeds from the event will support local charities focused on advancing the status of women, and Zonta International.
Any business or individual interested in helping Zonta to support the advancement of women locally and internationally may contact the Claws for Celebration event coordinator, Jan Hammond, at 954-298-9424.