Rockin’ Resiliency
Girl power: Lauren Bush Lauren and Barbara Bush inspire all ages at Women's Fundluncheon
Girl power was in full effect at the Women's Fund Rockin’ Resiliency luncheon Saturday at Hotel ZaZa. From honorary chair Barbara Bush and keynote speaker Lauren Bush Lauren to the adorable throngs of tween and teen girls dressed in their party frocks, the event was upbeat and educational, raising $150,000 for the organization.
The Women’s Fund teaches girls and women how to be advocates for their own health, so having keynote speaker Lauren Bush Lauren, co-founder of the FEED Foundation, an organization dedicated to curbing world hunger, was an ideal fit.
After a short video showing Lauren working with children from around the world, she spoke to the 335 guests (105 of them were girls between 9 and 17) admitting that she could relate to adolescent struggles.
“She’s 60 years my senior, but she’s the smartest woman I know. After this, go find her and ask her for some grandmotherly advice,” Lauren said about her grandmother, Barbara Bush.
“Junior high was difficult. It’s hard to not follow all the cool kids,” she said.
The activist/entrepreneur said it’s important for girls to find advocates and peers that share your same values, figure out what makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning and to practice compassion. “Be nice to that new kid at school,” she said. “When you are resilient, it makes the people around you resilient too.”
Lauren thanked the organizers for giving her an excuse to come home and see her family and friends (her mother Sharon, father Neil and his wife, Maria, and brother Pierce were in the audience) and clearly has a soft spot for her grandmother.
“She’s 60 years my senior, but she’s the smartest woman I know. After this, go find her and ask her for some grandmotherly advice,” Lauren said.
Even before Lauren’s endorsement of her grandmother, the elder Bush was surrounded by throngs of young girls, clamoring for a photo with the first lady and she graciously obliged them all.
Lauren also let it slip that she and designer Rachel Roy were collaborating on a FEED bag project, with more details to be released in the spring.
The whimsy of Hotel ZaZa was the perfect backdrop for the event that included pre- and post-luncheon shopping from boutiques such as DePetra, Willow, Tres Chic, Pomp & Circumstance and Tweak.
The second annual event was a collaborative effort among luncheon chairs Paulina McGrath and Amy Pierce, Extravaganza chairs Meredith Riddle and Kate Allen Stukenberg (the duo garnered the stellar shops that took part)and educational chair Gina Carroll.