Seal Beach Residents Honored by Girl Scouts of Orange County

On Sunday, June 3^rd, Girl Scouts of Orange County and its Board of Directors came together with over 750 guests to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of local Girl Scouts and the adult volunteers who support them at the annual Girl Scouts of Orange County Recognition Event luncheon at the Disneyland Hotel. The event was emceed by Tricia Wedekind, a lifelong Girl Scout and troop leader of Girl Scout Junior Troop 3249 in Anaheim and Lisa Hinshaw, Girl Scout Alum and liaison to Girl Scouts of Orange County’s Gold Award Girl Scouts. The theme for the event was superheroes, celebrating the local girls and women, and several outstanding men, who are taking action in their communities, inspiring others, and making our world a better place!

Commenting on the award recipients, Girl Scouts of Orange County CEO Vikki Shepp shared: “I am so very proud to honor the superheroes of our movement - the Girl Scouts who are making our world a better place and the volunteers who inspire them to dig deep, tap into their G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) ™ spirit, and reach for their dreams. From the Girl Scout troop who advocates for change at their city council, to the volunteer who helps a shy Girl Scout Daisy build confidence, Girl Scouts are spreading truth, justice, and friendship everywhere they go. ”

The following Seal Beach residents received a prestigious award during the event.

Christina Sokol (Los Alamitos) and Martha Gibbons (Rossmoor) received the Spotlight Award for providing outstanding service to their Girl Scout Service Unit.

Seal Beach residents Cindy Duncan and Brad Hontz received the Appreciation Pin. The Appreciation Pin is a national award that recognizes volunteers who have delivered outstanding service to at least one geographic area, service unit, or program delivery audience. This award requires the approval of the Girl Scouts of Orange County’s Board of Directors.

Cindy Duncan has been a troop leader for 10 years and is the Service Unit’s Financial Coordinator. For the last three years, Cindy has been instrumental to the success of the Cookie Program. This year, she mentored and advised new Cookie Managers, and as a Service Unit Financial Coordinator, she handled the financial requirements professionally and accurately. Cindy believes in the entrepreneurial skills girls develop through the Cookie Program and inspires troops to increase their sales each year.

Brad Hontz is a passionate and dedicated STEM volunteer. As a Girl Scouts of Orange County STEM Expo chair, he was able to secure over 20 companies to bring Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math activities to over 400 girls at the Girl Scouts of Orange County STEM Expo at California State University, Fullerton. Brad also served as a mentor for GSOC’s FIRST Lego League robotics teams and spent many hours with the girls preparing them for competitions.