The Women’s Giving Circle’s Circle Team raised over $32,000 in 2011 Iron Girl Triathlon pledges to support programs for women and girls in Howard County. The 75-member team joined 2,200 other women and girls in the bicycling-running-swimming event at Centennial Park, the largest of the nation’s 14 Iron Girl triathlons.

Participants ranged in age from 15-67 and included several mother-daughter participants. Some participants are athletes with many races behind them, others participated for the first time. The Circle Team was founded in 2006 to support WGC’s philanthropic efforts, to model a healthy active lifestyle and to empower women and girls.

Gold sponsors include Coreworks Fitness Studio, ezStorage Corporation, Starpoet Photography, Victoria Gastro Pub, Yolanda Bruno, and Alan and Pamela Ray. 

The Women’s Giving Circle is a community of women philanthropists addressing the needs of women and girls in Howard County. Among its activities, WGC has established a scholarship fund at Howard Community College for women who are seeking training to improve their employment options. WGC has also founded a summer residential camp for middle school age girls, Journey, which is being held at Washington College.

WGC was founded in 2002 and has over 900 donors, who have contributed and pledged over $900,000 to its donor advised fund with The Columbia Foundation, Howard County’s community foundation.  For information, visit www.womensgivingcircle.org.

Among the participants were (from l.) WGC Advisory Board member Megan Bruno, WGC founder Yolanda Bruno and supporter Ilana Bittner.