the 2023 Friends for Bates Reception
Friends for Bates celebrates long-time Friends of YWCA Princeton as well as the legacy of Pearl Bates, the namesake of our Bates Scholarship Fund supporting children and families in our Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center at YWCA Princeton with tuition assistance. The event ensures access to early childhood education for all! We look forward to sharing more about how we’ll back in-person soon.
History
In 2019, with support from our Board of Directors, the Friends Steering Committee, and the Benefactors for Bates Committee, YWCA Princeton hosted a new event: Friends for Bates, which combined the Annual Friends Luncheon and the Benefactors for Bates event, to raise funds for the Pearl Bates Scholarship Fund.
History of the Annual Friends Luncheon
The Annual Friends Luncheon was held annually for a core group of supporters known as Friends of YWCA Princeton. The Friends are donors who provide unrestricted support to YWCA Princeton’s Annual Fund beginning at the $200 level.
The Friends Steering Committee helped plan the Annual Friends Luncheon, a celebration of the impact made possible by the Friends’ donations.
If you would like to become a Friend, please consider a gift to our Annual Fund!
History of Pearl Bates Scholarship FUnd
Pearl Nelson Bates was a dedicated community leader, enthusiastic volunteer, and former Board Member of YWCA Princeton. When she died in 1963, her colleagues at Education Testing Service (ETS) honored her memory with a gift to the YW, which was to be used for help families access the youth programs. Sherman Bates, Pearl’s husband, recalled that although she had no children of her own, “Pearl considered everybody to be her child.” That gift was the impetus for the Pearl Bates Scholarship Fund, formally launched in 1965, and today provides financial assistance to families in need.
Each year, YWCA Princeton has held an event to raise funds for Pearl Bates Scholarship Fund, including the Crafter’s Marketplace and Benefactors for Bates. Today, Friends for Bates continues the legacy of raising funds for Pearl Bates Scholarship Fund in honor of Pearl Bates.