An Afternoon of Philanthropy & Prose at Annual ‘Authors Luncheon’
The Arizona Women’s Board held its beloved 46th Annual ‘Friends of Erma Bombeck Authors Luncheon’ on November 15, 2025 at the Arizona Biltmore. Funds raised support Arizona kidney patients and their families.
Co-Chairs: Jackie Hutt & Laura Bill
2025 Authors & Titles: Leigh Bardugo – Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom | Gesine Bullock-Prado – My Harvest Kitchen | Lisa Gardner – Kiss Her Goodbye | Jodi Picoult – By Any Other Name | Peter Wolf – Waiting on the Moon
Erma’s Angel & Circle Patrons: Lee Bowman, Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation & Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Emcee: Adriana Trigiani – Author & Erma Bombeck Enthusiast
Notable Moments: The highly anticipated annual event welcomed attendees to a western-vintage garden party, Arizona style with MacKenzie-Childs Wine Coolers filled with Prickly Pear Cactus and nuanced touches throughout the ballroom. The event featured a lovely tribute to author Erma Bombeck, her wit and commitment to the community which has become its own legacy with multiple generations of supporters attending year over year. Emcee Adriana Trigiani brought her humor to the stage as she introduced and welcomed each of the featured authors. The authors charmed all in attendance with personal tales of inspiration, research, trial and error, perseverance and humor. Guests delighted in purchasing books for signing by the authors. A quartet of priceless experience packages were raffled off to further support kidney health focused initiatives; National Kidney Foundation of AZ, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, St. Joseph’s Foundation, TGen Foundation, Transplant Community Alliance & Valleywise Health Foundation.
Photos courtesy of Sandra Tenuto.
Author Peter Wolf signing his book
Board Members Sandy Katzman & Candyce Williams with author Peter Wolf
Lee Bowman & Jennifer Taylor
Featured Works
Becca Hoyt with author Leigh Bardugo & Board Member Lory Parson
Author Jodi Picoult with Board Member Ingrid Haas
Co-Chair Jackie Hutt, Co-President Susan Purtill, Co-President Susan Doria & Co-Chair Laura Bill
Guests with author Gesine Bullock-Prado
Board members Christine Gustafson & Dana Boatright
Author panel listening to Peter Wolf
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