Girl Scouts will honor Senator Debby Sanderson

     Fort Lauderdale, FL --- The Girl Scouts of Broward County, Inc. (GSBC) has announced the honoree for their 2003 “Change the World” Award, Florida State Senator Debby P. Sanderson, formerly of District 31. The 2003 “Change the World” Award will be bestowed upon Sanderson at their annual gala fundraiser set for March 1, 2003.
     
     The “Change the World” Award is presented annually by the Girl Scouts of Broward County to honor the achievements of a local community-minded person who has made a significant contribution of time and expertise in a combination of direct service and leadership to Broward County.
     
     Senator Sanderson, who has resided in South Florida since 1958, is the first Republican woman to be elected to the Florida House of Representatives and was the first Republican Woman elected to the Senate from Broward County. First elected in 1982, she has been subsequently re-elected for the past 20 years.
     
     Throughout her legislative career, Senator Sanderson has been a champion for those less fortunate and their causes while balancing her innate interest in business issues. Of her accomplishment over the past 20 years she takes joy in the following: the privatization of the South Florida Mental Hospital in Pembroke Pines (it took 17 years but is now an example for all others to emulate in this country); five Parkinson’s Centers statewide, including one at North Ridge Medical Center; the Broward Children’s Center special funding; establishing The PACE Broward School for Girls; mandated insurance coverage for Diabetes; The Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Act; the Breast Cancer Research License Tag that became available by July 1st; and establishing Florida’s Optional Retirement System.
     
     Senator Sanderson began her Girl Scouting career in grade school as a Brownie in Connecticut. She has been a strong advocate for the Girl Scout mission and is a Lifetime member of the Girl Scouts.
     
     The Girl Scout gala fundraiser will be held at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa on Hollywood Beach. This year’s theme is “The Age of Aquarius… Mystic Crystal Revelations” and will transport guests back to the mystical and magical late 1960's through a journey of music, dance and mind-dazzling surprises. The event includes a cocktail reception followed by dinner, dancing and auction excitement. Tickets are $150 per person. Sponsorship packages are available. All proceeds benefit the Girl Scouts of Broward County and the more than 14,000 members it serves each year.
     
     For more information about the Girl Scouts of Broward County, Honoree Debby Sanderson (including full biography and headshot), or the 2003 Girl Scouts gala fundraiser, contact Lori Ebinger Sullivan at (954) 739-7660; extension 219.