It's a chance to celebrate the outstanding women in our area.

The Business Women of Moose Jaw hosted an event Friday evening at the Temple Gardens Hotel And Spa to showcase all women nominated for a PRISM award. It's the largest number of nominations the committee has ever seen.

Award winners will be determined in time for the show this spring and provides an opportunity to spotlight the women who make a difference in the community of Moose Jaw and surrounding area.

"I really think it's about uplifting women." Vice President of the Business Women of Moose Jaw and Nominations Chair, Sharleen Froats explained, "It's about having an opportunity to really come together, to grow together and to do something that elevates women in the most positive way possible."

The occasion served as a platform to discuss all 21 contenders within the seven categories; Perseverance, Role Model, Influential, Successful and Mentor (PRISM). The final two awards are for Youth and Lifetime Achievement.

"It's the first time we decided to do it this way." Referring to the unveiling event, Froats was pleased with the sold out crowd, "What we found is the whole event, the whole thing is about the nominees and we just weren't leaving enough time to really celebrate them." 

In place of a traditional plaque or trophy, the award itself is a piece of exclusively designed jewelry. This year the necklaces were crafted by a new provider, 5th Avenue Collections. Submissions will now be sent off to an unbiased group of adjudicators from outside the community in order for the decisions to be made in time for the awards ceremony.

The PRISM Awards double as a fundraiser for the local Transition House and will be held at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Moose Jaw Campus, on March 3rd.

A complete list of nominees can be found on the Business Women Of Moose Jaw Facebook Page. 

Awards for the 2018 recipients