BILLINGS — The Zonta Club is an organization that empowers women through service and advocacy. In a ceremony on Wednesday morning at RiverStone Health, the Zonta Club chapter in Billings honored the service that the cities many healthcare workers who have given and continue to give, during the pandemic.
In a speech, Zonta Club President Melanie Tripp praised the RiverStone workers for their dedication this last year.
“Zonta really focuses on empowering and uplifting women and girls in our community, and by helping with the COVID pandemic, you're helping us to keep a focus on things like domestic violence and human trafficking. So thank you so much for everything that you've done. Thank you again for the time that you've spent, and we appreciate your knowledge and your education and sharing with us, all of your amazing talents here in the community,” Tripp said.
The group not only had cookies and pins for the several dozen healthcare workers at the ceremony, but they also presented Yellowstone County Health Officer and President and CEO of RiverStone Health John Felton with a plaque.
Felton spoke glowingly of the recognition and of his staff.
“I can't thank you enough as the Zonta Club for recognizing these folks out there that have worked every day tirelessly. I've said before that I think there's a good reason why pandemics only happen once every 100 years. And, and I think we've had ours, we don't no, another one for another 100 years. But I will tell you that in my heart of hearts I believe this, we will be a better organization because of what we've been through, we'll be better individuals because we've been through, and will be a better community because of what we went through. We have learned how to come together and even higher levels than we ever had before to fight this foe and get us through," Felton said.
Though most people were wearing masks, you could tell there were a lot of smiles.
For more information on the Zonta Club here in Billings, log onto their website https://www.billingszonta.org/
