GODIVA Chocolatier Announces Annual Lady GODIVA Honorees

NEW YORK, March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- GODIVA Chocolatier is pleased to announce the 2014 Lady GODIVA Honorees: Erin Dinan, Molly Rockamann, and Stephanie Bowman, who will each receive a $10,000 grant for their exemplary philanthropic work and embodiment of the Lady GODIVA spirit through selflessness, generosity, leadership and giving back to their community. GODIVA created the Lady GODIVA program to celebrate inspirational women around the world, and inspire others to give back as well. This year, GODIVA has chosen to expand this cause marketing program, from honoring one woman annually to honoring three.

Since its inception, the Lady GODIVA Program has received tremendous response from the GODIVA community, where individuals nominate and vote for honorees at www.LadyGODIVAProgram.com. This overwhelming response led GODIVA to modify the program this year and award one nominee in three designated categories with the title of Lady GODIVA Honoree. Each of the three women selected as an honoree was chosen amongst peers in their respective category which are, Health, Wellness & Hunger; Children, Family & Poverty; and The Environment.

This year's Health, Wellness & Hunger Honoree is Erin Dinan of New York City. Erin turned her personal passion to help and feed the homeless into a thriving nonprofit organization, One Sandwich at a Time. Through monthly sandwich-making events, Erin has fed over 8,000 individuals in New York City and was able to meet her goal of feeding 25,000 people in 2013. Erin was also honored by the United Nations on their World Humanitarian Day in 2012.

Stephanie Bowman from Orlando, FL, has been selected as the Children, Family & Poverty Honoree. Stephanie channeled her personal struggles with drug abuse and domestic violence into helping the hungry and homeless through her nonprofit organization, One Heart for Women and Children. Stephanie has helped countless individuals by providing food, shelter and hope, and the One Heart annual holiday program provided gifts for over 1,700 local children this past December.

Molly Rockamann of Ferguson, MO, is this year's honoree in the Environment category. Molly founded EarthDance, an organization that trains aspiring farmers in the skills of sustainable agriculture. By establishing the nation's first part-time Organic Farming Apprenticeship Program, Molly was able save a local farm and grow over 10,000 pounds of organic produce for the region. Molly has raised over $450,000 to support farmland preservation and sustainable agriculture, and has become known as St. Louis' leading provider of education in the field.

"GODIVA is a company synonymous with giving," says Jeri Finard, President, North America, GODIVA Chocolatier. "Through the Lady GODIVA program, we are able to create a platform to support women who are focused on bettering the world around them by giving back to their communities. Each of these honorees demonstrates extraordinary generosity and selflessness and GODIVA is honored to contribute to each of their successes through these grants."

The honorees were announced at a breakfast hosted by GODIVA, and held at the Rent the Runway store inside Henri Bendel, on March 4^th in New York City. The collaboration was a natural one, as Rent the Runway, the leading destination for designer dress and accessory rentals, is an organization founded by two female entrepreneurs who share values similar to the Lady GODIVA Program. Each honoree was introduced to event guests by Jeri Finard and Jim Goldman, GODIVA CEO, and each was presented with a grant check of $10,000. To add to the excitement of the day, each honoree was outfitted by Rent the Runway in a look selected by her for the special occasion.

About the Lady GODIVA Program
The Lady GODIVA Program, which launched in November 2011, celebrates inspirational women around the world who embody the attributes of Lady Godiva through selflessness, generosity, leadership and giving back to their community.  In 2012, GODVIA named Lauren Bush Lauren, Chief FEEDer and Co-Founder of FEED Projects LLC, the first Lady GODIVA Honoree for her work to create good products that help FEED the world. Together GODIVA and FEED were able to give back over 300,000 meals to those in need. In April 2012, GODIVA launched the Local Lady GODIVA program to recognize exceptional women on a local scale. GODIVA is currently accepting submissions for next year's honorees. Visit http://www.ladygodivaprogram.com to learn more about that program and nominate a worthy candidate who personifies the Lady GODIVA spirit.

About GODIVA Chocolatier
GODIVA was founded more than 85 years ago in Brussels, Belgium and since then, has grown to become the global leader in premium chocolates. GODIVA is one of the most widely recognized chocolate brands in the world, and one that consumers universally associate with prestige, elegance and quality. From its famous truffles and shell-molded pieces to its individually wrapped chocolates and innovative chocolate collections, GODIVA Chocolatier is dedicated to excellence in the Belgian tradition. GODIVA is now available around the world with more than 500 boutiques in over 70 countries defining itself as the destination for chocolate. www.GODIVA.com.

SOURCE GODIVA Chocolatier