L'Oreal Paris Celebrates the Fifth Annual Women of Worth Awards at a Special Event in NYC

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Kerry Washington, Trisha Yearwood and Hota Kotb Were Among the Celebrity Guests that Attended Last Night's Ceremony at Hearst Tower to Recognize this Year's Ten Outstanding Honorees

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L'Oreal Paris

Dec 10, 2010, 09:45 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten extraordinary women were celebrated at last night's award presentation, held at the Hearst Tower in New York City, for their incredible dedication to charitable causes and the extraordinary milestones that they've reached to help others and give back to their communities.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101210/NY12994)

The event featured an awards presentation hosted by Karen Fondu, president of L'Oreal Paris and Cathie Black, chairman of Hearst Magazines. Special guest presenters included Viola Davis, Hoda Kotb, Linda Edelstein, Trisha Yearwood, Giada De Laurentiis and Kerry Washington. Former Women of Worth honorees were also invited to ring in the fifth annual awards.

"The Women of Worth initiative is inspired by L'Oreal Paris' iconic brand philosophy, 'Because You're Worth It.' I am proud to celebrate these 10 extraordinary women who bring this mantra to life," said L'Oreal Paris president Karen Fondu. "Their dedication to their causes and their many achievements truly demonstrate that all women have the power to make a difference."

NATIONAL HONOREE

Consumers had an opportunity to visit womenofworth.com and cast their vote for the honoree and charity that inspired them most. Taryn Davis who founded The American Widow Project received the most online votes and was awarded an additional $25,000 at last night's ceremony.

"I am extremely delighted to be honored as a L'Oreal Paris Woman of Worth and so proud to be named the 2010 National Honoree," said Davis. "It is truly a privilege to be among the company of these 10 amazing women."

HONOREES

To commemorate their dedication, the 10 incredible honorees have received $5,000 for their respective charitable cause and $5,000 in their name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) – L'Oreal Paris' primary philanthropic partner. To date, L'Oreal Paris has raised over $18 million on behalf of OCRF to honor its commitment to women.

The 10 honorees represent a myriad of causes and commitments across the country, and prove that each of us can make a difference in the world:

Lynn Gaubatz - Falls Church, VA; Founded AdoptALibrary.org, providing thousands of books for tribal colleges, reservations, prisons and schools across the nation and around the world.
Robin Steele - Eagan, MN; Founded Cheerful Givers to help less fortunate families give birthday presents to their children.
Lisa Williams - Peachtree City, GA; Established Circle of Friends and Living Water for Girls to provide safe refuge for American girls and advocate against commercial sexual exploitation.
Sue Kutz - Rock Hill, SC; Activist for Back the Pack, a program that discretely identifies undernourished students and provides them with nutritious food on weekends to alleviate symptoms of chronic hunger.
Jill Tappert - Boulder, CO; Has made countless strides in the treatment and support available to families with autistic children through her work with Autism Society of Colorado.
Taryn Davis - Buda, TX; Founded The American Widow Project, a non-profit organization offering support and healing to this generation's military widows across the United States.
Ethel Paley - New York, NY; First executive director of FRIA, a group dedicated to making sure seniors get proper care, services and treatment from nursing homes in New York.
Simone Bernstein - St. Louis, MO; Created stlouisvolunteen.com to inform teens about the many volunteer opportunities available in the area and to motivate them to act.
Berni Barta - Los Angeles, CA; Founded Kid Flicks, an organization that donates new and gently used age-appropriate DVDs to children in hospitals and pediatric departments.
Pauline Olsen - Farmington, CT; Helped to create Malta House of Care Mobile Free Medical Clinic, which delivers totally free primary health care to a diverse population with no other means of accessing the health care system.

JUDGES AND VOTING

The Women of Worth honorees were chosen by an elite group of judges including: Jacqueline Hernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo Communications Group; Karen Fondu, President of L'Oreal Paris; Anne Talley, former Senior Vice President of Marketing for L'Oreal Paris; Soledad O'Brien, CNN Anchor; Lisa Oz, President of Ozworks, a media and investment consulting company; Cathie Black, Chairman of Hearst Magazines and Shannon Lambert, Founder of Pandora's Project and 2009 Women Of Worth honoree.

ABOUT L'OREAL PARIS

The L'Oreal Paris division of L'Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L'Oreal Paris brand encompasses the four major beauty categories – haircolor, haircare, skincare and cosmetics – and includes such well-known brands as Preference, Excellence, Feria and Healthy Look haircolor; Elnett Satin Hairspray, EverPure, EverStrong, VIVE Pro, Studio Line and L'Oreal Kids haircare; Youth Code, Revitalift, Age Perfect, Ideal Skin Genesis, Collagen, Sublime Bronze and Men's Expert skincare; and the Colour Riche, True Match, Infallible, Bare Naturale and Studio Secrets Professional cosmetics collections, along with a portfolio of mascara including Voluminous, Double Extend and Telescopic among many others.

L'Oreal Paris is dedicated to women around the world and the company has been inspired to give back and make a difference in their lives. In 1997, L'Oreal Paris made a long-term commitment to raising awareness for ovarian cancer, which continues to build. To date, L'Oreal Paris has helped raise more than $18 million dollars to further research and build awareness with fundraising efforts such as the L'Oreal Legends Gala and L'Oreal's annual "Color of Hope" cosmetic collection.

For more information on L'Oreal Paris and its brands, and to get comprehensive, personalized beauty information from the experts, visit www.lorealparis.com for access to unique content and dynamic interactive features, including the exclusive "Can I Help You" diagnostic tool.

SOURCE L'Oreal Paris