More than 100 Baltimore businesswomen (and even a few men) attended a luncheon on August 12, 2009 to honor the third annual Morton’s The Steakhouse’s Spirited Women of Baltimore winners. The event was organized by MyCity4Her.com, The Women’s Wine and Dine, and Morton’s The Steakhouse. The luncheon raised more than $4,000 for the American Red Cross of Central Maryland.

Bunny Kohn, nurse at Lapidus Cancer Institute at Sinai Hospital and Spirited Woman of Baltimore 2009 award winner, Teresa Hall, veterinary technician at Holistic Pet Care at Spirited Woman Rising award winner, and Monyka Berrocosa, Founder of MyCity4Her.com and The Women’s Wine & Dine.

The 2009 winners are:
 
Spirited Woman Rising – Teresa Hall, Reisterstown, Md.
This award recognizes an up and coming young woman who is making a difference in her community concretely.
 
Teresa Hall, 25, volunteers for numerous organizations, including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Scales & Tales program, Phoenix Wildlife Center, and Sacred Heart of Glyndon. She is also constantly donating her time to help people with everything from painting the walls of a new spiritual center to marketing a book written by local group of evolutionary women. She resides in Reisterstown, Md.
 
Spirited Woman in Balance – Sharon Perfetti, Fallston, Md.
This award acknowledges how hard it is to balance career, community service and motherhood.
 
A single mother of three children ages 14, 12, and 9, Sharon Perfetti is also co-founder and Executive Director of the Cool Kids Campaign, which provides kids with cancer a higher quality of life for themselves and their families while facing the challenges of the disease. Perfetti was also the driving force behind the development of Annie’s Playground in Fallston, Md., which was erected as a memorial to a 6 year old neighbor who was killed by a drunk driver. As volunteer coordinator, Perfetti devoted two years to the construction of this project. In addition to her community service and philanthropy efforts, she still finds time to be active in her children’s lives by helping to chaperone class trips and coaching her children’s lacrosse teams.
 
Spirited Woman of 2009 – Bunny Kohn, Baltimore
This award celebrates a woman who is committed to making her community a better place by sharing generously of her time, talent and treasure.
 
Bunny Kohn works full-time as a nurse at the Lapidus Cancer Institute, however, her work does not end once her shift is done. She takes a personal interest in all of the cancer patients, hers, as well as others, by sending them handmade encouragement cards weekly to help build up their spirits. She also creates handmade tissue packet covers for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, knits scarves and hats in the winter for those that have lost their hair from cancer treatments, delivers baked goods, and more. Kohn not only spends her free time in order to create these items, but uses her own money to buy materials, etc. She even asks friends and family members not to give her gifts for her birthday and other occasions and to instead donate money to the “Bunny Kohn Appeals Fund” in care of the Cancer Institute.