Red Cross Honors 9 O.C. Heroines

Eight Orange County women and one woman’s business recently were honored as “unsung heroines” for having a positive effect on the quality of life in the county.

The winners were announced last week at the Orange County Red Cross’ sixth annual Clara Barton Spectrum Awards for Outstanding Women in Orange County.

About 600 people attended the luncheon at the Irvine Marriott hotel. In all, 69 women were nominated by the public several weeks ago for the honors.

Winners were honored in nine categories:

* Janice Smith of Laguna Beach, active with Bowers Museum, Pacific Symphony Orchestra and arts program at John Wayne Airport, for the arts;

* Gloria McDonough of Westminster, executive director of ABRAZAR, a nonprofit service organization, for education;

* Engrid Matthews of Newport Beach, volunteer coordinator for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center, for environment;

* Nancy Clark & Associates/Alternative Sentencing Programs of Newport Beach, advocate for nonviolent alcohol and drug offenders, for women’s business or group;

* Sandra Landry of Huntington Beach, a nurse and activist, for health care;

* Myldred Jones of Los Alamitos, founder of several human service organizations, for humanitarian;

* Evelyn Gonzales Matua of Garden Grove, who overcame difficult personal circumstances to become the director of the Clinton Kids Club, for personal achievement;

* Adriana Perez of Santa Ana, 17-year-old Century High School senior, 4.0 grade-point-average student and mentor, for service by youth; and

* Justice Sheila Prell Sonenshine of Laguna Beach, only woman sitting on 4th District Court of Appeals, for the Elizabeth Dole glass ceiling award.

A panel of judges selected the award recipients according to the International Red Cross principals of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality, officials said.

The featured speaker was Lynn Sherr, correspondent for “ABC News” and “20/20.” Sherr specializes in in-depth stories on women’s issues.

The awards are named for Clara Barton, who, through determination and petitioning the federal government, founded the American Red Cross in 1881.

In 1898, a group of women in Santa Ana rolled bandages for soldiers in the Spanish-American War, the first official act of the American Red Cross in Orange County.