Project Pink lifts females' self-esteem

As a professional photographer, Jenny Schomaker spends a lot of time eyeing the faces and bodies of women. And most of them, she says, look absolutely fine.

"But none of them believe that! I meet so many women who look perfectly wonderful, even gorgeous, but they don't believe it. Their perception of themselves is so skewed by what they think they're supposed to look like," she says.

So Schomaker, a Gilbert mother of two young girls, decided to do something to help turn the tide of insecurity, comparison and self-doubt. With the help of nearly 20 local businesses and volunteers, she's hosting Project Pink at 10 a.m. Saturday at Higley High School in Gilbert. It's a free event for females age 6 and older, and it's designed to teach them to value themselves - and each other - for more than their looks.

"The idea is for girls, women, mothers, grandmothers, teachers, friends, everyone, to pull together and support each other. So many people don't think these things matter, but I can't tell you how many women I've met who just cannot see their own worth and potential, and they shortchange themselves their whole lives over it," she says.

At the event, author and talk radio host Heather Madder will give an address on "Loving Yourself From the Inside Out," and Mrs. Arizona 2008, Brooke Nelson, will speak about "The Presence of Who You Are." A life coach and a psychotherapist will also speak, and there will be small group classes and sessions on topics from scrapbooking to hairstyling. A live band will play, and snacks will be offered.

Schomaker, 35, says no matter how vigilant parents are about instilling a sense of self worth in their daughters, tuning out negative messages from TV, magazines, music and even schoolyard playmates can feel like a losing battle.

Her youngest daughter, 7, has concerned her lately.

"She's always been really active and athletic, and recently she's started saying she's fat. She's not at all, but somehow she's picked that up - that she's different and it's not OK to be different."

It's exactly the kind of learned attitude Schomaker hopes to dispel at Project Pink.

She may also serve as a positive example to the crowd she's hoping to empower. Schomaker was recently diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a voice disorder caused by involuntary movements of the larynx muscles. The condition can seriously impair a person's ability to communicate.

"That's one more reason I wanted to do this," she says. "I want to help my daughters understand that something like this can happen, and it doesn't affect my value as a person; it's not going to stop me."

While the focus is on females, all members of the family are encouraged to attend, especially mothers and fathers.

The first 300 people to arrive on Saturday receive free Project Pink T-shirts, and every attendee gets a Project Pink bracelet. The event is free, but any donations given will go toward putting on another Project Pink next year; Schomaker hopes to make it an annual affair.

Project Pink: Loving Yourself From The Inside Out

What: A girls day out that aims to inspire little girls, teenage girls and women to value themselves for more than their looks

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Higley High School, 4068 E. Pecos Road, Gilbert

Cost: Free

Information: http://projectpink411.blogspot.com