Volunteerism is such a valuable asset to any organization and community. Those dedicated individuals who give thousands of selfless hours of work to a project or endeavor should be recognized and praised. Recently one of those special volunteers was honored by her family, her professional women’s organization — La Grande Soroptimists — and her many friends and fans.

Gerry Braseth Palmer was a hardworking and dedicated Soroptimist for 45 years. When she passed away in November, the Braseth family approached our club with a wish to establish a special scholarship in her memory. This scholarship, the Gerry Braseth Palmer Healthcare Scholarship, will assist women entering the medical field. Her family and many friends donated $45,000 to establish the scholarship. Beginning next year, a successful applicant will receive $5,000 to assist in college tuition or training in the medical field.

Gerry was an integral part of our Festival of Trees, having worked on it for the entire 37 years it has been part of La Grande’s holiday events. A point of clarification to The Observer article on our record-breaking 2023 Festival of Trees: Our net proceeds were $162,000. Last year’s net proceeds were actually $120,000, not $75,000 as reported. This generous community amazes me as they continue to support this event that returns so many dollars to our community through grants to organizations, agencies and individuals that work diligently to improve the lives of so many.

Di Lyn Larsen-Hill

President, La Grande Soroptimists

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