The seventh annual Women With Heart Luncheon is announcing the 2019 keynote speaker, Karen Roy, Ms. Wheelchair America 2019.
Josie Frank, president of the St. Landry-Evangeline Women United, said, “Each year we try to provide our attendees with a dynamic and inspirational woman keynote speaker, and I think we’ve kept up that tradition with this year’s speaker.”
The St. Landry-Evangeline United Way’s Women United Women With Heart Luncheon and Awards event is scheduled fro 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Opelousas Civic Center. Tickets are $25.
Two women leaders in St. Landry and Evangeline parishes who have distinguished themselves as caring, compassionate philanthropists and community volunteers will be recognized.
A “Power of the Purse” purse auction will also be a highlight of the event.
Ginger LeCompte, executive director of the St. Landry-Evangeline United Way, said, “We wanted to choose a speaker who demonstrated the promise, possibilities and the power women possess when they choose to lead and advocate for the issues most important to them. Ms. Roy was selected because of her courage to move through her tragedy, and inspire not just women, be everyone.”
Karen Roy, Ms. Wheelchair America 2019 from Baton Rouge, sustained a T10 complete spinal cord injury in 1987, as the result of a gunshot wound to the back. She was the victim of an armed robbery in a parking lot during her sophomore year at Louisiana State University.
After completing her rehabilitation at Mississippi Methodist in Jackson, Mississippi, she went on to finish her BA in psychology. She holds a masters degree in social work from Louisiana State University, and became a licensed clinical social worker.
Most of her social work career was spent working with patients in physical rehabilitation hospitals in Baton Rouge. The past three years she has spent as a medical supply account manager at Numotion. Her proudest achievement is her three children after sustaining her injury. Caroline, Austin and Joseph are all now in college.
Using her platform “Stand for Life,” Roy plans to travel the country speaking to people in the disabled community, medical professionals, law makers and insurance companies about the medical and psychological benefits of standing devices, functional electrical stimulation and any technology created to keep people healthy and active.
“I realized that the use of technology that has existed for well over 30 years is terribly under-utilized by people with disabilities,” Roy said.
She hopes to influence lawmakers who may be trying to roll back the progress made by the Americans with Disabilities Act, pointing out that there are 56 million people in the country who happen to have a disability.
Proceeds from the event will support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Tickets can be purchased on line at uwsle.org and click “events,” or by calling the United Way office at 337-942-7815. For more information, contact Susan Fisher at sfisher@uwsle.org