- April 18, 2024
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As more than 150 women and two men scrambled for their seats, Wednesday, Aug. 31, the Palm Coast Yacht Club came alive with the music to Katy Perry’s song, “Firework.”
After dancing around the room to kick off the third Purse and Jewelry Auction, presented by the United Way’s Women’s Initiative of Flagler County, board president Sandra Mullen looked at the crowded room and repeated the lyrics to the song.
“You’re a firework,” she told them. “Every light does its thing, but when it comes together, it is about working together.”
The mission statement of the Women’s Initiative is to create positive, measurable, long-term change in the lives of women and children of Flagler County by focusing on root causes and pooling resources to increase their impact.
Later in the evening, Mullen was recognized for embodying that mission statement by being named the 2011 Women’s Initiative Flagler Woman of the Year.
“It’s unprecedented that we would give this award to the president of our own organization,” said Women’s Initiative Flagler Vice President Donna Murray, in her presentation speech. “However, as our president, she has done more than anyone ever imagined that one individual could have possibly done for this community.”
As part of her accomplishments, Mullen created the group Chicks with Cans, with Kim Fitzgerald, and raised more than 4,000 pounds of food for Feed Flagler. Chicks with Cans also brought in 3,000 pounds of peanut butter and jelly in the PB&J Mac ’n’ Cheese Challenge Food Drive.
Mullen is also an active volunteer for the Mobile Benefits Program in Flagler County.
“This award does not belong to me,” Mullen said. “It belongs to every woman in this room. We have a lot of needy women in this community, but we are just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
