Soroptimists International Mount Gambier recently celebrated 100 years of Soroptimism worldwide and 44 years of the Mount Gambier club.

The women celebrated at Macs Hotel with a dinner meeting and members performed in a play, ‘100 Years of Soroptimist Heroines,’ representing the women who founded the Soroptimists 100 years ago in California, 1921.

Soroptimist International Mount Gambier inaugural member and Fundraising and Social Organiser Gloria Lennon said everyone enjoyed themselves.

Ms Lennon said reading and acting the roles in the play demonstrated what happened throughout the first 100 years.

“You have got to admire them, what they have done in that time process,” she said.

“We’re there to help people. We have raised a lot of money, done a lot of volunteer work and we have done a lot of good things over the years.”

The Mount Gambier club has been involved with include donating to the Queensland bushfires and the New South Wales CWA to provide Christmas toys for children and food for firefighters and also to BlazeAid to replace fences damaged by the Adelaide and Lucindale bushfires. They support the Limestone Coast Domestic Violence Service along with donations to local schools, Foodbank and the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.

Soroptimist International Mount Gambier President Tanya Reddie said the club highlighted important women’s issues and had changed parliamentary bills over the years with advocacy.

“We are all about educating and empowering and enabling women and girls,” Ms Reddie said.

“We’re proud to be Soroptimists.”