Betsy Gingerich was honored today with the Olean Zonta Club’s Yellow Rose Award.

Gingerich was surprised with a yellow rose by Dr. René Garrison, dean of St. Bonaventure's School of Education and Zonta Club member.

Since moving to Olean in 2022 when her husband, Jeff, became president of St. Bonaventure University, Gingerich has been deeply committed to service in the community.

Gingerich is on the Board of Directors of the Tri-County Arts Council and is a regular volunteer at the Warming House, SBU’s student-run soup kitchen in downtown Olean. She was co-chair of last fall’s Empty Bowls and Baskets Dinner that raised more than $200,000 to help sustain the Warming House, which celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2024.

Gingerich also serves on the boards of the YMCA of the Twin Tiers and the St. Elizabeth Mission Society.

“Betsy represents the values of Zonta through her leadership, advocacy and service. Her unwavering dedication to supporting the community is an inspiration,” Garrison said.

Olean Zonta is a club under the auspice of Zonta International, an international women’s advocacy organization.

Since 1999, the yellow rose has been the inspiration and symbol of Zonta Rose Day, which falls on March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day. The yellow rose also served as a symbol of the pro-suffrage movement.

Past recipients of the award from St. Bonaventure include Ann Tenglund, director of Friedsam Memorial Library and Faculty Development; Betsy Cashing, a former faculty member in the School of Education; Dr. Pauline Hoffmann, associate professor and former dean of the Jandoli School of Communication; and Mary Beatty, administrative assistant (now retired) in the School of Education.

Founded in 1919, Zonta International is a women’s advocacy organization that has more than 29,000 members in 63 countries. The mission of Zonta clubs around the world is to make a global and a local impact.

The Olean Zonta chapter has raised tens of thousands of dollars locally to support women undergoing treatment for breast cancer as well as supporting breast cancer research. The chapter also provides support for local women through donations of hygiene products to local food banks.

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).