Two trailblazing women will be honored during a special luncheon July 18 as part of the 178th anniversary of Convention Days in Seneca Falls.
The event will feature Geneva native Gloria Thornton-Peek, a pioneering boxing coach, and Mary Masciangelo, a 101-year-old Rosie the Riveter from the Rochester area.
Thornton-Peek became the first female Olympic boxing coach to guide a boxer to Olympic gold when she coached Claressa Shields at the 2012 London Olympics. Through her Gold Standard Boxing program, she has spent decades mentoring young people.
Masciangelo supported the country's World War II effort as a Rosie the Riveter and has continued serving veterans through Honor Flight, local veterans organizations and community service. She is a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the American Spirit Award presented at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
The luncheon is part of Convention Days, which marks Seneca Falls' role as the birthplace of the women's rights movement.
After the luncheon, the community is invited to a free outdoor concert featuring The Cool Club & The Lipker Sisters. The concert begins at 1 p.m. at the Community Bandstand in People's Park near the Seneca Falls Community Center.
The performance will include jazz, soul, R&B, Latin rhythms and classic rock and roll. Food and beverage vendors will be on site, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
If it rains, the concert will move inside the Community Center.
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