Image Caption: 2026 Women of Distinction Award Recipients from left to right: Sid Macdonald, Kay Crawford, Crystal Laforest, Mary Jane LeBlanc, Lorraine Harris, Brenda Walsh. Sara Alvarado was absent.
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario (June 10, 2026) –On June 3, 2026, YWCA Cambridge honoured 21 Women of Distinction nominees at the annual Women of Distinction Awards gala. The celebration was held at the Whistle Bear Golf Club and emceed by Corus Radio host Lisa Richards.
Seven outstanding women took home awards:
Sidney MacDonald (recipient of the Young Trail Blazer Award), Kay Crawford (Lifetime Achievement Award), Lorraine Harris (President’s Award), Crystal LaForest, Mary Jane LeBlanc, Sara Alvarado, and Brenda Walsh.
“I extend the warmest and heartiest congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and recipients,” said YWCA Cambridge CEO, Kim Decker. “I know the external selection committee had their work cut out for them, selecting recipients from a pool of so many inspiring women and young trailblazers.”
“Thank you to all of the guests who joined us to celebrate these individuals, the friends and family of nominees, our event partners and sponsors who helped make it a fabulous evening, and other community leaders and partners who chose to spend their evening celebrating with us,” Decker added. “The Women of Distinction awards are about recognizing the myriad ways, big and small, that women and gender diverse individuals are leading, overcoming personal or societal barriers, and carving paths for the women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals behind them.”
The annual gala is YWCA Cambridge’s most impactful fundraiser. This year, the event raised $20,000 to support free employment and financial literacy programming for women, gender-based violence prevention programming for youth, women’s emergency shelter and more.
The 2026 Women of Distinction Awards gala was generously sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Meridian Credit Union, GrandBridge Energy, and Ecclesiastical Insurance.
Women of Distinction is a nationally celebrated event hosted by YWCAs across Canada. Locally, more than 350 women have been recognized by these awards since 1991.
About YWCA Cambridge
Since 1948, YWCA Cambridge has been a leader in providing responsive programming and services that meet the changing needs of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals. As a member agency of YWCA Canada, YWCA Cambridge is part of the country’s oldest and largest national women’s multi-service organization. YWCA Canada is the largest national provider of shelter, literacy, life skills, employment, and counselling programs, and is the second-largest provider of child care services in Canada.
