Marblehead resident Kayla Harrison took to the stage to share her journey to becoming the first American to win Olympic gold in judo as the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston held its annual Big in Boston gala Saturday, Nov. 10.
Harrison credited her successes to the support of her mentors, who guided her towards her goal, despite the personal obstacles she faced.
More than 400 attendees came to celebrate and show their support for the organization, and honored women’s health advocate Dr. Paula Johnson was honored with the Believe In Girls (B.I.G.) Award.
Guests included Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, Ralph and Wing de la Torre, David and Holly Bruce, and Don Rodman. The evening raised nearly $800,000, which will go towards Big Sister’s mission of serving the girls of Greater Boston through gender-specific, one-to-one mentoring. To learn more about the organization, see BigSister.org.