Harlequin announces the OutStander Award winners to be honored at Feel Good Day next month. First Lady of San Antonio Erika Prosper Nirenberg will help present the awards on Saturday, October 5, to six individuals who champion good causes and improve the quality of life in our community. Those being honored are: April Ancira, Millennial Groundbreaker; Kathy Armstrong, Cultural Champion; Ande McBay, Person of Positivity; Amy Palmer, Harlequin Hometown Hero; Isabel Torres, Personal of Positivity; and Laura Vaccaro, Women United Community Catalyst, United Way. (Harlequin, 2019)

Millennial Groundbreaker – April Ancira “goes big” for one lucky non-profit each year and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the American Heart Association, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Brighton Center, ALS, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Association and Family Services.

Cultural Champion – Kathy Armstrong is an advocate for the arts as a curator, director and participant in the cultural scene of San Antonio. She has put the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival on San Antonio’s cultural map, showcasing innovative contemporary art to more than twenty thousand festival attendees each year.

Person of Positivity – Ande McBay, the self-proclaimed military “brat,” has overcome numerous personal and medical challenges to become the first Deaf female Executive Chef in San Antonio and co-founded the Ladies’ Raspa and Adventuring Society and the Dames Who Dine.

Harlequin Hometown Hero – Amy Palmer is a veteran of the Armed Forces who has committed her post-Air Force work to supporting those on the front lines through Soldiers’ Angels. Palmer has spearheaded the creation of a Veteran Internship Program at Soldiers’ Angels to help military service members transition to civilian life and learn more about nonprofit management.

Personal of Positivity – Isabel Torres, after the loss of her six-year-old daughter Gabriella, founded the Gabriella’s Smile Foundation to support families who are battling with childhood cancers. Through the Foundation, Torres sets out to give families a reason to smile while coping with the challenges of grief and loss.

Women United Community Catalyst – United Way winner Laura Vaccaro is an active fundraiser for the MS Society, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and Girl Scouts. Her valuable leadership and ambitious fundraising goals has earned respect within the United Way family of volunteers.

Harlequin Feel Good Day San Antonio is set for 10:30a.m. to 6p.m., Saturday, October 5 at the Omni La Mansion Del Rio. All guests will receive a SWAG BAG filled with inspiring gifts valued at $200. Harlequin, a leading publisher of romance and women-centric literature for nearly seven decades, is bringing its powerhouse community to San Antonio for a day of Feel Good programing and community building that celebrates and explores what makes women feel their best, do their best and be their best selves. Jaclyn Kenyon will be the musical performer for the day.

“I believe these women deserve to have their passion, commitment and outstanding achievements recognized not just in our city, but on a national and international scale. I am excited to be a part of the Harlequin Feel Good Movement showcasing San Antonio and our residents to a global community.”- Erika Prosper Nirenberg