The 24th annual Wonder of Women WOW event will be held on April 30, 2025 at 5:30pm at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Seats are $75 per person, and can be purchased by sending a check to Main Street Community Foundation, P.O. Box 2702, Bristol, Connecticut 06011-2702. Proceeds from the event support programs and initiatives that improve the lives of women and girls in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

In addition to several grantee organizations, the guest speaker this year will be Donna Palomba. Donna is a nationally-recognized speaker, author, and advocate for survivors of sexual crimes. Following a harrowing home invasion and assault in 1993, Donna faced further victimization when the police department mishandled her case. Her extraordinary strength, perseverance, and leadership brought meaningful change to both police policy and Connecticut state law.

In 2007, Donna’s case was the impetus for the removal of the statute of limitations on sexual crimes with DNA evidence in CT. Donna’s experience led her to found Jane Doe No More®, a nonprofit charity dedicated to empowering survivors of sexual crimes to find their voice, advance their healing and educate others. Her story was featured in a two-hour show on Dateline NBC in 2007 and again in a new show in 2022, The New York Times Magazine in 2018 and is chronicled in her book, “Jane Doe No More,” published in 2012.