A Drumheller woman who has dedicated more than three decades to the service of girls and women is set to take an excursion to New Zealand.
BJ Gallagher has been a member of the Soroptimist International of the Americas for 31 years. She said last summer she learned the Soroptimists on the South Island of New Zealand were offering a Grant of Friendship. This is an opportunity for a member to travel to New Zealand and be hosted by the local club. She, along with Soroptimists from all over the world applied and she learned in November she was selected.
Gallagher and her partner Alexander Herdman will be leaving March 3 for three weeks.
Gallagher has done her fair share of international travel, including other excursions as a Soroptimist including trips to South Africa, France and Turkey, to name a few, but this is her first time going to New Zealand.
“It’s a great opportunity to travel because there are people there on the other end that meet you and know you just because you are a Soroptimist. It is a friendly organization,” she said. “There are four federations, so it is really interesting seeing what other federations do.”
She said while in New Zealand they will be volunteering for a Wild Food Festival and will also attend a Conference in Wellington, on the North Island.
She has enjoyed her tenure with the group. She has filled virtually all of the positions in her Edmonton club and was casino chair for 15 years. She was chair of the Soroptimist Foundation of Canada for six years
“Everything we do is to help women and girls. We work to educate and empower them however we can. We also work really hard against trafficking,” said Gallagher. “The Edmonton Club Supports an orphanage in Ukraine, we supported a school in Malawi, we sent money over to a member who was in Mongolia,” she said. “The Foundation gives out four grants a year of $7,500 for girls in Ph.D. and Masters programs and the clubs give out smaller amounts to younger women.”
