Local Girl Scout will be honored as national ‘Young Woman of Distinction’ in Atlanta

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     Release Date: 9/12/2005
     Press Contact: Lori Sullivan, 954-739-7660, ext. 219
     
     Local Girl Scout will be honored as national ‘Young Woman of Distinction’ in Atlanta
     
     Oakland Park, FL --- This past June, the Girl Scouts of Broward County honored four local girls with the esteemed Gold Award, the highest award that may be earned by a girl member. One of our awardees, Crystal Torres of Pembroke Pines has recently been named by the national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the United States of America (a.k.a. GSUSA), as one of only 25 nationwide 2005 Gold Award Young Women of Distinction. Torres will be first Broward Girl Scout to be recognized with this honor. The award ceremony will take place at the GSUSA National Council Session/50th Convention in Atlanta Georgia next month.
     
     The Gold Award Young Women of Distinction recognizes extraordinary achievement in the design and implementation of a Girl Scout Gold Award project. The 25 young women, and their Gold Award projects, were selected based on the illustration of the Girl Scout program goals in action, demonstration of how girls can leave a lasting mark on the world around them, and how they voice what is important to them by taking action and making a difference.
     
     Torres’ project was entitled “Summer Fun for Everyone” and focused on the need for appropriate and fun activities for children with special needs at the Special Populations Summer Camp in Pembroke Pines, where she served as a volunteer. She worked closely with area ESE teachers in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to research possible activities. With donated materials and funds, she created a user-friendly program book for counselors and purchased adaptive play equipment for the summer program.
     
     At the time of her Gold Award project, Torres was a Senior at Pembroke Pines Charter school and today is a freshman at Valencia College in Orlando. Torres will join the other 24 recipients on Monday, October 10 in Atlanta for the morning ceremony. In July, just days after her move to school, Torres’ mother called her after an envelope arrived from GSUSA. “When my mom read the letter I was in total shock, “ Torres said. “ I knew that I had put together a project that I really loved, but I honestly didn’t know it was that big or could be worthy of national attention.”
     
     Thirty adult and girl members will make up the traveling delegation from Broward County to participate in the National Council Session and watch Torres receive the prestigious honor in front of the international audience of more than 15,000 Girl Scouts. One delegation member is Pam Ashworth, Torres’ adult advisor for her Gold Award project. “Crystal is one of the most self-motivated, upbeat teenagers I have ever worked with,” Ashworh said, “When I see her cross the stage next month, it will be like one small step for girls but a giant step for the Girl Scouts of Broward County. I hope she will come back and visit our girls to share her passion and inspire them to follow in her footsteps.”
     
     As part of her award, GSUSA will fly Torres and her mother to Atlanta, where she will participate in the four-day National Council Session and be treated to a tour of the Girl Scouts birthplace in Savannah, Georgia after the ceremony.
     
     Girl Scouts of Broward County, Inc. serves more than 9,000 girls and 4,500 adult volunteers. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Broward County, including adult volunteering opportunities and girl registration, contact Lori Ebinger Sullivan, Vice President of Marketing at 954-739-7660; ext. 219 or lsullivan@browardgirlscouts.org or visit www.browardgirlscouts.org.
     
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