The 8th Annual Connie Wilson Collins Exceptional Women Concert will honor local women for their service to others.
Submitted
The Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc. will host its 8th Annual Connie Wilson Collins Exceptional Women Concert honoring outstanding women from Plainville, Greater Hartford, and Central Connecticut on April 2.
The celebration includes live musical performances, poetry, dance and tributes to the honorees. Musical performances include the legendary soul singer Betty Harris, Nzinga’s Daughters and the QANC Watoto Youth program.
The event was renamed in 2014 in honor of the late Constance “Connie” Renee Wilson Collins, an African-American woman who made a lasting contribution to the Greater New Britain community. Collins worked to help people reach their full potential through her work in political, spiritual, fraternal and nonprofit organizations.
Collins is an exemplary role model for the children and teens who participate in the Queen Ann Nzinga Center programs, says Executive Director Dayna R. Snell, and her legacy continues to inspire youth to aim high and use their talents for the good of the community.
The celebration will honor: Tonilynn Collins and Jody Davis, of New Britain; Kim Tenore Hackett, of Meriden; Kimberly James, Ph.D., of Bloomfield; Lisa Nkonoki, of Farmington; Barbara T. Petit, of Plainville; Aljea Rosario, of Hartford; and Cindy Scoville, of Plymouth.
West Hartford native Kim Tenore Hackett, a breast cancer survivor, lives in Meriden. At 38, she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. After beginning treatment, she began volunteering at UConn Health Center in Farmington, where she was a patient. She later met and fell in love with Scott Hamilton, who was a member of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club Harford Chapter, and she became an associate member. With her connection with UConn Health and new relationship with the Buffalo Soldiers, she helped put together the Poker Run in which members from the different Buffalo Chapters in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states came to support UConn Sickle Cell research.
The event gives girls in the PRIDE program an opportunity to learn about successful local women and celebrate their accomplishments.
The public is invited to attend the concert and celebration, scheduled from April 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. Doors will open at 3 p.m. at Trinity-On-Main, 69 Main St., New Britain.
Tickets: $20 for adults; $15 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, visit www.qanc.org or call 860-229-8389.
All proceeds help fund programming for the Queen Ann Nzinga Center, a nonprofit arts and humanities organization, which emphasizes artistic expression and teamwork to help children and teens be successful and reach their full potential. The Queen Ann Nzinga Center and Trinity-on-Main are collaborating on the event.
The celebration is made possible with financial support from American Savings Foundation, the Greater Hartford Arts Council, Community Chest of New Britain and Berlin, Inc., Elizabeth H. Norton Trust Fund, Wells Fargo, the New Britain Commission on the Arts and the Waterbury Chapter of The Links, Inc. For more information, http://www.qanc.org/
