How Tea Shaped the Women's Suffrage Movement

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LENOX, Mass. — Join Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum Director James Capuzzi as he tells the story of how tea shaped the women's suffrage movement at Ventfort Hall on Tuesday, July 29, at 4 pm. 
 
A tea will be served after his presentation.
 
Accodring to a press release:
 
"I don't believe in individual work in any case. All the work for a cause must be collective..." Alva Belmont's comments in the August 13th, 1909 New York Times article Suffrage Armory at Mrs. Belmont's highlight the nature of the Women's suffrage movement as collaborative and in community. Building on what Susan B. Anthony and the first wave of suffrage leaders had started, Alva used her influence and resources to attract wealthy supporters and connect the women's suffrage cause with the New York elite living in Newport, Rhode Island. Her Conference of Great Women and famous "Votes for Women" tea set combined the elegance of high society with the revolutionary idea of women's equality under the law. Join Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum director James Capuzzi as he tells the story of how tea shaped the suffrage movement. 
 
James Capuzzi has an M.A. degree in Sustainable Cultural Heritage Management from the American University of Rome and a B.A. degree in Classical Studies & Italian Language from Tulane University in New Orleans. James served as Community Relations Fellow and then Director of Communications and Marketing at the Abigail Adams Institute in Harvard Square before moving to the Berkshires to direct the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in the summer of 2023. The museum has reengaged the local community with programming, exhibits, and outreach events
 
Tickets are $45. Members receive a discount code for $5 off all ticket prices. Students 22 and under are $22. Ticket pricing includes access to the mansion throughout the day of this event from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. Note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker St. in Lenox.
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Josh Billings Athletes Can Support Local Non-Profits

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. - A new fundraising initiative is giving participants in  one of the Berkshires’ most recognized community traditions a simple way to support local  nonprofits.
 
Launched this year by the Josh Billings RunAground and Mill Town Foundation, the Finish Line Fund allows participating teams to select a Berkshire-based nonprofit and invite friends, family members, colleagues, and others to support the organization through a  team fundraising page.
 
With time still remaining before the Sept. 20 event, participating teams already have raised more than $16,000 for local nonprofits.
 
“The Finish Line Fund is about expanding participation in local philanthropy,” said Andy Wrba, Program Director at Mill Town Foundation. “You don’t need to make a large gift to have an impact. When hundreds of people contribute $10 or $20 to organizations they care about, those individual gifts can add up to something significant. We want to make local  giving accessible, personal, and connected to an event people are already excited to be part of.”
 
Rather than directing all fundraising to a single beneficiary, the Finish Line Fund places the  choice in the hands of participants. Teams select a Berkshire nonprofit that is meaningful to them and use their own networks and personal stories to build support for the organization.  Donations made through each team’s fundraising page go directly to its selected nonprofit.
 
The initiative reflects a peer-to-peer approach to philanthropy in which individuals become  ambassadors for the organizations and causes they value. In addition to raising funds, the  program is designed to introduce more people to Berkshire nonprofits, expand their networks of supporters, and encourage community members to see themselves as active participants in local giving.
 
To encourage broad participation, Mill Town Foundation will also contribute an additional $500 to the nonprofit represented by each of the five teams that attracts the greatest number of individual donors. The incentive is based on the number of unique supporters – not the total amount raised – reinforcing the message that gifts of every size matter.
 
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