Entertainment

Here's Your Chance To Meet Sophia Bush

by Caitlyn Callegari

Sometimes, growing up, we obsess over celebrities because of the characters they play, only for it to turn out that they're undeserving of our adoration. Many celebs disappoint us in one way or another, proving that the fictional characters they portray are just that— not real. But One Tree Hill fans and Brooke Davis lovers alike should be happy to know that Sophia Bush does not fall into that category, at all. She's every bit deserving of her idol status, as proven by her campaign with Omaze and Glamour's philanthropic initiative, The Girl Project. And, as part of the campaign, fans have a chance to win a trip to attend the Glamour Women of the Year Awards and meet Bush themselves.

The Girl Project strives to provide better access to education for girls worldwide. For Bush, the fact that it empowers women both at home and abroad got her excited about participating. "The reason I really wanted to work with Glamour on this is that they're using The Girl Project as sort of this giant umbrella to tackle girl's and women's education issues," she tells Bustle via phone. "That fact that we are both working in America and globally — I find that so many opportunities really are one or the other, and what excited me about this was being able to work on both."

When it comes to Glamour's Women of the Year Awards, the emphasis is also placed on empowering women. As the magazine details, the winner and their guest will be flown to New York to "tour Glamour headquarters, visit the renowned beauty closet, and pick up a Glamour editor-approved beauty basket." But the real allure of the contest is that the winner gets to "walk the red carpet at the 2015 Glamour Women of the Year Awards" with Bush by their side. It's an unparalleled opportunity to be in the presence of great and inspiring women, and the entry process benefits The Girl Project. For every donation of $10 or more made, entrants are given a certain number of chances to win the trip, along with as other prizes. In the video below, Bush gives more information on entering and shows just how fun the Glamour fashion closet really is:

When asked about the importance of the Women of the Year Awards, The Chicago P.D. actress explains that it's not as if they're a "movie premiere." It isn't about superficiality; it's about being among the honorees and successful women alike who have made strides helping themselves and others. "This is a night highlighting the greatness and the capability of women in entertainment and all of these fields that are so important and that have so much reach," she says.

The true vitality of the awards, of course, stems from those being deservedly honored. This year: Victoria Beckham, Caitlyn Jenner, Reese Witherspoon, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Holmes, Cecile Richards, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, and the Women of Charleston, who are raising awareness for injustice following the shooting at massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bush explains that the women receiving the accolades are "women that are really living their truth." And the noble attribute they have in common is that "they are using their life as a megaphone to highlight important issues to give women even more of a voice than they have already in and across all of their communities."

Perhaps the actress best sums up her all-encompassing understanding of what makes a Woman of the Year, the momentousness of the occasion, and the heart of a cause that empowers women, when she mentions one honoree who has experienced tumult and adversity, and has championed her cause in spite of that:

Caitlyn Jenner is using this incredible platform that she has from years of working in reality television, feeling like she was living a lie, to talk about what it truly means to live your truth and to be free to do that safely and to be treated with equal rights and equal compassion in this country. As we go down the rest of the list, each of these women have a story like that. Have a truth that they are helping to highlight.

The Glamour Women of the Year Awards take place on Nov. 9. Visit Omaze for more information on entering the contest. The deadline to enter is Nov. 3 at 11:59 p.m. PST.