Dot's Day, a women's empowerment and wellness conference, attracted 40 more attendees than last year, according to Raelynn Notely, one of the event's organizers.
She said 285 people attended this year, up from 240 last year, the first year of the event.
The one-day gathering was held March 16 at the Ralph Klein Centre and Alumni Centre.
The day was named in honour of Dot Negropontes, a former teacher, principal, Chinook’s Edge School Division official and Community Learning Campus (CLC) executive director who passed away May 15, 2017.
During her career, Negropontes rose from teacher to Olds High School vice-principal, the first-ever École Deer Meadow School principal, as well as a Chinook’s Edge School Division official. She also steered creation of the CLC and served as its executive director.
"Dot was incredibly loyal. She was welcoming and loving. I think anybody who knew Dot just always felt very welcomed by her, whether it was in her home or in her classroom," Notley said during a speech wrapping up the day.
"She was incredibly classy, she was elegant, she was generous. She was very humorous.
"She was a great defender. If she felt that there was something unjust she was going to stand up for it and she was going to do something about it.
"She was incredibly creative -- beyond measure, really."
Notley said naming the event after Negropontes was perfect because she said that's what she was all about.
"I just wanted to comment that leaders become great, not because of their power but because of their ability to empower others. And when I read that statement, it speaks Dot, right?
"Dot was not necessarily a powerful person, she was an empowering person. And so if we can each take away one of those qualities and move that into our communities, we can change the way our -- I think we have a pretty great community actually, but we can make it even better," Notley said.
