Last week, I received an e-mail message from Bill Ellis, the head of the APhA Foundation. He pointed out the opportunity to participate in honoring Women in Pharmacy. Many of you may have received the same message. I’ll quote a bit of it below, along with the links that help you connect if you’re interested.

I was proud to be one of the early contributors to the cause, and I encourage you to do the same. My good friend Karen Reed will help you out if you contact her via the email address below. This initiative got me thinking about Sarah Haverstraw, the first female pharmacist I knew, who practiced at Phillips Pharmacy in Sistersville, WV. She was a wonderful mentor to me.

Women have played an increasingly prominent role in the evolution of pharmacy and currently impact virtually every area of the profession and continue to be an increasingly powerful force in healthcare. While we cannot recognize the numerous contributions made by each and every woman who has positively impacted the practice of pharmacy, we can collectively recognize their contributions by establishing the Conference Room within APhA Headquarters on the 6^th floor, overlooking the Lincoln Memorial.

The recently launched fundraising campaign is the first of its kind: created and run by APhA members who are all women pharmacists. This is your opportunity to recognize the female role models, mentors, trailblazers and innovators who have influenced or supported your career in pharmacy: your professor, teacher, wife, mother, supervisor, colleague, sister, or yourself!

For more information, to donate or volunteer, please contact Women in Pharmacy Conference Room chairperson, Karen Reed, who can be reached at klr@suddenlink.net, 304-255-0766, or online at www.aphafoundation.org. The first 250 contributors who donate $1,000 or more will be named and recognized as Founders of the Women in Pharmacy Conference Room.