CARE Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day

Soulful Songwriters, Citizens Storming Capitol Hill for Change and a Twitter Celebrity Auction Highlight CARE's Celebration of the Accomplishments of Women and Girls Around the World

ATLANTA, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Empire State Building will glow orange for one night. Concertgoers will gather to hear Grammy winner India.Arie, hitmaker Michael Franti and others perform a tribute. Twitter users will participate in a TwitChange celebrity auction. More than a thousand people will descend on Capitol Hill to demand a better world for millions of marginalized women and girls around the globe.

And that's just a taste of what's planned in honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day through CARE, a leading humanitarian organization that fights poverty by empowering girls and women.

International Women's Day (March 8) is a time to recognize the political, economic and social achievements of women past, present and future. It also serves as a reminder of inequities that remain. And it is the growing movement to close that gap that will take center stage this March as people across the United States recognize this historic occasion.

"We are so excited about CARE's International Women's Day celebration this year," said CARE President and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle.  "Not only will we honor the accomplishments of girls and women during the past century, but everything we do will be designed to inspire others to act on their behalf."

On March 8, CARE will kick off its annual conference in Washington D.C. with a tribute concert by recording artists India.Arie, Michael Franti, American idol alum Crystal Bowersox and, in an exclusive U.S. premier performance, Idan Raichel. Here CARE also will unveil a first-of-its-kind report entitled, "The Top 10 Myths About Women & the Heroes Who Bust Them," which identifies some of the most prominent myths about girls and women and sets the record straight through facts, figures and remarkable stories of mythbusters.

On March 9-10, the conference will unite more than a thousand advocates at the Washington Hilton to discuss pressing global poverty issues, such as the importance of foreign assistance, quality education for girls and economic opportunities for women. Conference participants will hear from notables such as: CARE's Dr. Gayle; Melinda Gates, co-chair and trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Former First Lady Laura Bush; and Judy Woodruff of PBS' NewsHour. Advocates will then head to Capitol Hill to meet with Members of Congress and take an active role in influencing U.S. policy to improve the lives of millions of vulnerable women and girls around the world.

CARE's partners also are using the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day to inspire others to improve the lives of women globally. CARE is joining forces with TwitChange in an online auction to generate interest – and dollars – for CARE. Fans will bid on the chance to be followed, mentioned or retweeted on Twitter by their favorite celebrities. The auction will run from March 2-12, 2011.

CARE is working with Vivanista, a charitable fundraising resource, and Sprinkles Cupcakes to spark a movement during the month of March, encouraging people everywhere to host Parties For A Purpose™ that raise awareness and funds for CARE. Party hosts can download a simple digital toolkit, containing fun party ideas; trivia and discussion questions, a social media guide and Sprinkles Cupcakes signature recipes. In addition to contributing a portion of cupcake and mix sales to CARE, the first 50 people to sign-up to organize a party using Meetup will receive a free gift from Sprinkles Cupcakes.

There will be gifts too. Packages, actually. CARE is planning a special announcement: A modern twist on the original CARE Packages that defined CARE's early years and grew into a symbol of American generosity.

And shining like a giant candle amid the celebration will be the Empire State Building. The evening of March 8, New Yorkers will see it lit in orange — CARE's signature color — in honor of International Women's Day.

To join CARE's International Women's Day activities, visit www.care.org.

About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve education, health and economic opportunity. To learn more, visit www.care.org.

SOURCE CARE