Step Up Women's Network to Honor
Jennifer Love Hewitt at 2008
Inspiration Awards

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Step Up Women's Network announced today that this year’s celebrity honoree for its annual gala Inspiration Awards event in Los Angeles on May 9th will be Jennifer Love Hewitt. The event celebrates philanthropic accomplishment, honoring celebrities, VIPs and members alike.

Jennifer Love Hewitt was chosen as this year’s honoree for her ongoing support of Step Up Women’s Network, helping to raise critical funds for their programs, as well as for being an outstanding role model for young girls.

Also being honored is the President and CEO of Lifetime Networks, ANDREA WONG.

According to the cable channel giant owned by The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company, Wong known for her broad scope of television experience, expertise in programming and her ability to identify and deliver on distinct brands, is overseeing all the day-to-day operations for Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com), including advertising sales, affiliate sales, research, programming, public affairs, marketing, business and legal affairs, and strategic planning and operations.   

"Lifetime is one of the most distinct, powerful and evocative brands on television, and I'm thrilled Disney and Hearst have entrusted me with the opportunity to shepherd it into the future," Ms. Wong stated. "I'm especially looking forward to working with the incredibly talented group of people at Lifetime to unearth future growth opportunities that will extend and deepen Lifetime's marketplace dominance."  Ms. Wong graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, and she holds an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

"We’re truly looking forward to celebrating another year of accomplishment for Step Up Women’s Network, and honoring some of the outstanding women who exemplify a new generation of female philanthropists,” said executive director Danielle Carrig. “The Inspiration Awards showcases why Step Up is on the cutting edge of the women’s movement. When women come together for a greater cause, lives change, as we see with the girls we serve.”

Each year, Step Up's star-studded Inspiration Awards fundraising events celebrate the year's most inspirational women. This year's Los Angeles event, sponsored by Halé Bob and Crystal Light, will take place May 9, 2008 at the famous Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. A similar New York event will take place on May 29th at the new IAC Building designed by Frank Gehry. Additional sponsors include Macerich, Sony, Kirkland LLP, Nielsen Entertainment, Los Angeles Magazine, and Marie Claire.

The host committee for the Los Angeles event includes Jessica Alba, Melissa George, Ashley Jones, Hilarie Burton, Rachael Leigh Cook, Garcelle Beauvais, Nancy Utley, Diane Reichenberger, Lacey Chabert, Adriana Alberghetti, Robbin Itkin, Louise Ward, Leslie Ann Warren, JoAnna Garcia, and Judy Sitzer among others.

Step Up Women's Network celebrates its 10^th year of service to women and girls this year. Step Up has grown to include 50,000 supporters who have raised millions of dollars and donated more than 100,000 volunteer hours to the organization's programs. Step Up is a national nonprofit membership organization, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

By making philanthropy accessible to every woman at any level, Step Up Women's Network is becoming the first organization that women think of when they want to make a difference. For more information, please visit the website (above).